Better Work Ethiopia
Better Work Ethiopia is part of the Advancing Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization In Ethiopia/ programme known as SIRAYE.
Established in 2019, SIRAYE brings together not only the vast experience of the ILO in different countries, but also a new way of delivering support in a holistic and coordinated manner. Unique in the ILO, SIRAYE works at the national, regional and factory levels involving different ILO departments and key global programmes, including Better Work. These programmes and departments align their service packages and harness the specializations of each programme to address the unique needs of the Ethiopian garment and textile industry. As a result, stakeholders and factories are getting comprehensive support in one programme.
Better Work is a flagship programme of the ILO, jointly managed by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank group. The overarching development goal of Better Work Ethiopia is to see improved respect of workers’ rights leading to greater incomes and compensation, enhanced safety, equality, voice and representation. The programme also aims to lift industrial productivity and competitiveness to enable a globally competitive textile and garment sector as well as to encourage accountable and transparent government institutions.
Our Strategic Goals
By 2027, worker well-being is protected by a system that achieves sustainable and inclusive compliance with national labour law, guided by international labour standards
By 2027, the Ethiopian garment sector has increased its productivity through the establishment of responsible and sustainable workplace practices.
By 2027, the garment and textile industry benefit from improved industrial relations, collective bargaining and minimum wage policy.
By 2027, workers are covered by a sustainable prevention, protection and compensation system.
Latest news
Educational content to change behaviours during the crisis
Better Work Ethiopia in consultation with key partners produces educational materials to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Ethiopia Updates
Better Work Ethiopia Supports Government Response to COVID-19
Ethiopia presents ‘huge opportunity’ to build sustainable garment industry.
Contribution to Priority Themes
These themes cross-cut the strategic goals and will be present in our factory engagement, research, policy influencing, content produced, and affect how we allocate our human and financial resources.
Wages
The programme will continue supporting the government and social partners in the development of a minimum wage setting mechanism and the necessary capacity to fix and adjust minimum wages. The programme will generate evidence-based studies and knowledge products to complement and support capacity building.
Social Dialogue
The programme will continue to support participating factories to put systems in place for structured, bipartite dialogue. In addition, it will continue supporting tripartite partners to improve the organizational capacity of workers’ and employers’ organizations so that they can meaningfully participate in tripartite and bipartite social dialogue at different levels. The programme will generate evidence-based studies and knowledge products to complement and support capacity building and social dialogue at all levels.
Gender Equality and Inclusion
The programme will continue to strengthen women’s empowerment and gender equality in the workplace. The programme will support women workers in building their technical and leadership skills to advance in more supervisory and managerial positions and towards becoming worker representatives and leaders. The programme will also utilize its gender strategy and action plans to support factory, sectoral and national level actors to mainstream the promotion of gender equality across their services and activities.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
The programme will continue supporting enterprises to build sustainable capacity and management systems on OSH. At the national level, the programme will continue supporting the government in updating OSH-related laws and standards and building capacity on OSH enforcement through direct capacity-building training and partnerships with local universities, OSH professional associations and other OSH service providers.
Productivity and Business Performance
The programme will focus on SCORE to support enterprises in being sustainable and resilient. The programme will continue to influence national policy based on SCORE’s factory level evidence to initiate a national productivity movement.
Environmental Sustainability
Learning from the impact of SCORE’s productivity enhancement support on cleaner production as well as resource efficiency and utilization, the programme will work closely with partners to achieve the eco-friendly management of chemical waste and lower the generation of waste through efficient use of resources, recycling and reuse to reduce the pollution of soil, water and air.
Data and Evidence
SIRAYE is collecting data to enhance evidence-based decision making, establish best practices and inform the design of interventions that address challenges in the textile and garment industry. The programme will continue conducting studies and provide evidence on different areas, including social dialogue; occupational safety and health; gender in the garment sector; gender-based violence inside and outside industrial parks; wages and the minimum wage fixing process and so on.
