Sesame Business Network Ethiopia

Mekelle, March 21st 2015

Results group 4: Labour in the sesame sector

• What should be done to improve labourers’ working and living conditions; capacities and skills?

• How to comply with guidelines (such as the checklist of investors) of labour and social affairs?

• How can we improve labour shortage/abundance problem in the sesame area at peak times?

Lead questions

• The relationship between farmers and labourers is not good• Investor farmers don’t comply to the guidelines/checklist • Less emphasis to the labour in the sesame sector as a significant

economic sector• Labourers skill/capacity is not as required • Poor sense of ownership of farm activities • Transportation service (expensive at peak times) and poor

infrastructure • Untimely payment • Investor farmers are not real agronomist nor business minded

General impression

What should be done to improve labourers’ working and living conditions; capacities and skills?

• Training • Awareness creation on labour rights and responsibilities• Communicating labour handling situations to respective

government bodies • Farmers (investors) should provide basic services • On time salary payment • Organizing labourers as interest group

Results Lead question 1:

What should be done to improve labourers’ working and living conditions; capacities and skills?

• Organizing committee which consists of farmers and labourers which work for mutual benefit

• Improving transportation service to labourers• Certifying labourers • Written agreement b/n labourers and farmers (labour and

social affair should follow up)• Awareness creation on saving culture • Improving the labour rules and regulations

Results Lead question 1 (continued)

• Woreda administration should know total number of labourers needed and work together media

• Labour day should be 8 hours per day (for extra hours = extra payment)

• Farm equipments should be provided by farmers • Use of farm machinery/mechanization• Working to improve security of labourers in the

areas • Advising labourers not to drink alcohols (katikala)

Results Lead question 1 (continued)

How to comply with guidelines (such as the checklist of investors) of labour and social affairs?

• Written agreement between labourers and farmers• Organizing committee which follow up implementation of the guideline

/checklist• Organizing labourers associations • Awareness creation on the checklist to labourers and farmers• Labour and social affairs should follow up on the implementation of

the checklist • Farmers who failed to do so, should be penalized• Certifying investors that comply the guideline/cheklist•

Results Lead question 2

How can we improve labour shortage/abundance problem in the sesame area at peak times?

• Promotion using mass media• Improving transportation service (from and to place of origin)• Mechanization • Improving salary and other services • Establishing agency which facilitate linkage b/n farmers and labourers• Strengthening legal institutions at kebele level• Working to improve security issues at local level• Improving infrastructure (communication, road etc.)• Managing conflict between labourers/labour groups

Results Lead question 3

• .....• .....

Major practical action points

• Contract agreement between labourers and employers/farmers should be monitored by respective government bodies

• The labour rules and regulations should be revised and updated

• Promotion by individual investors should be regulated

Major policy action points