/ 17 June 1997

ILO condemns four African states

TUESDAY, 11.00AM: THE International Labour Organisation in Geneva has found four African countries — Nigeria, Swaziland and Morocco and Sudan — guilty of violating trade union and freedom of association rights. A formal motion of condemnation will be passed at the ILO’s annual conference on Thursday this week.

Swaziland has been singled out for suspending the country’s only trade union federation after a protracted dispute this year over the country’s failure to reform and hold elections.

The Nigerian military government has been condemned for placing trade unions under government control.