The African Trade Unions are building and strengthening the capacity of their members to develop new strategies to strengthen collective action, advocate the rights of workers, and promote fair recruitment practices across the continent.
The move is aimed at addressing exploitation of migrant workers due to unethical recruitment practices.
This was the central part of discussions at the opening of a three-day capacity building workshop for members of the African Trade Union Migration Network (ATUMNET), which kicked off on Wednesday, 26 June 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The workshop organised by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), brought together trade union members across Africa, representatives of recruitment agencies, media professionals as well as migrant workers.
This is coming as African trade unions identified gaps in fair recruitment of migrant workers and have resolved to develop strategies to tackle the menance head-on.
Addressing the participants, the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Chief Technical Advisor, Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), Mr Ephrem Getnet, said that the recruitment landscape today is becoming increasingly complex with multiple layers of actors facilitating migration of workers across border.
Recruitment Agencies
The ILO Chief Technical Advisor stated that while recruitment agencies play a significant role in ensuring efficient and equitable functioning of labour markets, the ILO has also witnessed multiple challenges.
According to him, the workshop aims at “Strengthening Trade Union Action to Advance Fair Recruitment in the African Continent,“ describing labour migration as one of the most pressing issues of the present times.
“The recruitment landscape today is becoming increasingly complex with multiple layers of actors facilitating migration of workers across border.
While recruitment agencies play a significant role in ensuring efficient and equitable functioning of labour markets, we have also witnessed multiple challenges.
To mention some of them, concern has been raised in relation to the growing role of unscrupulous employment agencies, informal intermediaries, and non-compliant employers all of whom often exploit low-skilled migrant workers through various unfair practices, such as charging illegal fees, deception, and even physical or sexual violence.
These practices not only harm individual workers but also undermine the integrity of labour markets and the efforts of ethical recruiters,” he said.
Concerns
Mr Getnet said concerns have been raised about the lack of an effective regulatory framework governing the recruitment of migrant workers as well as lack of data, knowledge, and evidence.
“In response to these pervasive challenges, the ILO launched the Fair Recruitment Initiative in 2014.
The overarching vision of the initiative is to ensure that recruitment practices, both nationally and across borders grounded in labour standards are developed through social dialogue and ensure gender equality.
Since its launch, the Initiative has combined global policy dialogue, as well as knowledge and data generation, with impactful on-the-ground interventions,” he explained.
Getnet expressed confidence that the workshop will help trade unions to refresh and sharpen their knowledge about fair recruitment and provide a platform to collectively develop unified advocacy messages that reflect their collective vision for fair recruitment in the continent.
Trade Unions Have Key Roles
The ILO Technical Advisor said trade unions have key roles to play in influencing policies and monitoring their implementation, adding that the ILO is committed to building capacity of unions in ensuring that unethical recruitment is addressed.
Setting the stage for the meeting, the Nigerian Labour Congress’ (NLC) Focal Person on Migration, Comrade James Eustace, said the workshop was borne out of the gaps identified by the ITUC-Africa in fair recruitment practices in the continent.
The Doha Dialogue
He disclosed that fair recruitment is one of the thematic areas set for the next discussion under the Doha Dialogue, which aims to foster inter-regional collaboration between Africa and the Arab States.
The participants also agree that the workshop will build their capacity to engage effectively during the Dialogue.
In his address, the coordinator of Francophone-speaking members of the African Trade Unions Migration Network (ATUMENT), Mr Tano Honorat, said that trade unions are committed to providing solutions to the myriads of challenges faced by migrant workers.
He said migration is a human phenomenon, and workers will continue to move across borders.
“So, given this, it means that fair recruitment is an important element of access to decent work,” he stressed, adding that the workshop will allow trade union members build their capacity to protect migrant workers’ rights.
Migrant Exploitation
Every year, millions of African workers, seeking better employment opportunities, migrate internationally, but many face exploitation due to unethical recruitment practices.
These practices include fraudulent recruitment, paying excessive fees to secure employment, contract substitution, and unfair working conditions often facilitated by unregulated recruitment.
Participants at the workshop are discussing challenges facing fair recruitment of migrant workers in Africa and how trade unions can address the challenges.
They are also exploring ways to develop unified advocacy messages, engage more effectively with governments and recruitment agencies, and raise awareness among migrant workers about their rights and protections.
The meeting ends on Saturday, 28 June 2025.