The programme, which is being supported by Swedish donor Union to Union, in partnership with UNI\u2019s Swedish commerce affiliate, Handels, runs until the end of 2027.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cEven though the context and situation are different, it\u2019s striking that there are always shared struggles, threats and issues that are not bound by borders,\u201d said <\/em>Josefin Lundmark, International Secretary at Handels<\/strong>. \u201cThis ambitious project in Nigeria and Uganda is particularly exciting because most of our membership are women and many are below the age of 35, so the focus on these groups – and increasing their participation in union structures – is important for us. We look forward to seeing the project develop over the next few years and make a real difference to workers\u2019 lives and working conditions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n It is the first time that UNI Africa is working commerce unions in Nigeria, where much of the sector is informal.<\/p>\r\n \u201cBy organizing more formal workers in Nigeria, we will have the power and solidarity to reach out to informal workers as well,\u201d<\/em> said UNI Africa Regional Secretary, Keith Jacobs<\/strong>. \u201cIn Uganda, our work with HTS union helped to seal the first collective agreement at Carrefour in the country. Now, with this new project we want to expand our organizing into other supermarkets, especially as global operators move into the market.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n \u201cThe focus on gender equality is strong for this project and we hope that it will help break down the barriers for women getting to the top of union structures,\u201d added Jacobs.\u201d Occupational health and safety is another key issue and workers are exposed to many hazards, which is something we are determined to redress.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n The project will be implemented through a mix of workshops on organizing, collective bargaining, and gender equality workshops for men. It will also incorporate UNI Equal Opportunities mentoring programmes as well as training on parental rights. Unions in Nigeria and Uganda will conduct meetings to raise awareness of OHS, carry out risk assessment at retail stories and to oversee elections of OHS committees at the workplace.\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new UNI Africa multi-year project to improve the working conditions and wages of workers employed in the retail sector in Nigeria and Uganda and bring more women and young workers into union structures has launched this month. The project aims to build collective bargaining power through organizing more members and empower women and young<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":12366,"template":"","categories":[],"global-issues":[],"sectors":[11],"cross-sector-groups":[],"workers-rights":[],"regions":[87],"topics":[151],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Shopdis-Nigeria-group-300x241.jpg\")