AWTG's blog

Workers in the cane-based sugar sector in Kenya face substantial safety and health hazards. Companies historically have shown a lack of concern about occupational health and safety (OHS)  and this has been worsened by casualisation and outsourcing, which put a great proportion of the sugar labour force at risk.

In 2009, 316 migrant workers, 143 of them women joined the Agro-industrial Workers’ Union (AWU) of Almaty (Kazakhstan).  46 workers of those who joined the AWU Almaty in 2008 returned in 2009 to work for the same employers.

Work continues to develop a new ILO code of practice on safety and health in agriculture.

In December 2009, banana workers trade unions, all major banana companies, retailers, academics and some government representatives met in the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Rome to launch the World Banana Forum (WBF).

The ILO is starting to implement the action plan agreed in the 2008 Committee on Rural Employment.

Work has begun to do a review and assessment of ILO activities on rural employment since 1970. The AWTG will be contributing to the document which review will be presented to the ILO Governing Body in March 2010 and will be used to "inform future workplans".

The UN High Level Task Force (HLTF) was set up in April 2008 in response to the food crisis sparked by soaring food prices, leading to riots in many countries.