A two day meeting took place on 8TH and 9TH December 2011 in Gaborone - Botswana with the participation of 23 persons from ITUC-Africa, selected National centers and some Global Union Federations (GUFS).

The topic under discussion was the issue of Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) in relation to Multinational Enterprises (MNEs).

Trade Unions, especially the Global Union Federations (GUFs) in the quest to achieve more defense, protection and promotion of workers’ rights in respect to workers in the Multi-National Companies, have developed a tool known as the Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) to increase protection and promotion of labour standards..

A number of GUFs have negotiated and signed considerable numbers of these agreements with MNCs/ MNEs, with respect to protection of labour standards.
This workshop was therefore organised with the aim of :

• Seeking ways to improve the potential and potency of GFAs as a tool for organizing.

• Exploring ways to use GFAs to improve bargaining and social dialogue with MNEs.

• Finally, to improve working relationships and synergies between trade union organisations (ITUC-Africa/ITUC and GUFs in the region).

In view of this, the meeting dwelt on GFAs to look at the different contexts and perspectives in regards to how they can be used to achieve protection for labour standards and contribute to the attainment of social justice in the workplaces and in the community at large.

Tremendous results were reached and a network to promote the use of GFAs was formed in view of this.