International Labour standards for sound labour relations in Ethiopia

ILO collaborates with International Training Centre of the ILO(ITCILO) and Ethiopia’s First Instance Court to provide training on ILS for judges and lawyers.

News | Addis Ababa | 04 May 2021
With the objective of equipping judges, lawyers and registrars with the knowledge that will enable them to use international labour law sources at the national level, The ILO Siraye programme in collaboration with ITCILO and Ethiopia’s Federal First Instance Court organized two rounds of virtual training from March 15-18 and March 29 – April 1 respectively. 60participants from the labour bench of the federal first instance court working on various issues related to labour dispute attended the training.
Among other topics, the training primarily focused on exploring the instruments and supervisory machinery of the ILS system, determining in which instance domestic judges can use ILS to solve labour dispute.
“This is a new experience for me. Although I have been working as a judge in the labour branch for quite some time, I have never taken training on ILS. It is directly related to our work and it applies to our day to day activity. For example we handle a lot of labour dispute related to contract termination and it was very helpful for me to align our national law with that of the ILS that Ethiopia has ratified”
Eyerusalem Lantebil: Judge-Labour branch
The training was facilitated in a live webinar format and the training method used in the live sessions took advantage of the participants’ high-level competencies and experience.
“The training went better than I expected in terms of methodology. I was sceptical about how such intense training can be conducted virtually and ensure the engagement of all participants. However, the methodology was good and drew upon the vast experience of the participants. The trainers were also well versed in the Ethiopian context.”
Zufan Weldegebriel: Registrar-Main office

Ethiopia is one of the pioneer countries to join ILO, 1922. The country has ratified about 22 ILO Conventions including the core Conventions to date. These conventions are parts and parcels of the country’s laws and regulations according to the Constitution. This means respect and application of these standards in practice is very pertinent.

International labour standards (ILS) are important tools for the development of national legislation. ILS can also contribute to strengthening domestic case law on labour matters. International labour law is a highly valuable resource for domestic judges, lawyers and officials seeking to settle labour disputes. Together with the comments and analysis of the relevant ILO supervisory bodies, ILS offer a matchless source of interpretation and inspiration for judges, lawyers and officials in ILO member States. Several examples show that national court courts are increasingly more willing to draw not only on international labour Conventions and Recommendations but also on the work of the ILO supervisory bodies to interpret and complement their national law.
“In addition to the knowledge and skills we have acquired through these trainings, I wanted to emphasise the importance of such training in attracting foreign investors into the country. As most foreign investors are guided by the principles of international labour laws and standards, it is critical that we align ourselves with those standards and trainings like this plays a huge role”
Yonathan Abebe: Judge – Labour branch

Among the priorities set by the Ethiopian Government and its social in the DWCP is improving implementation of ILS and Social Dialogue with emphasis on compliance and coverage. The ILO is supporting the Country priorities in the world of work as set in this DWCP. The programme will continue to work with relevant institutions to ensure understanding of international labour standards are applied in the national context.