Labour Unions in Sudan & South Sudan sign agreement on workers’ outstanding rights

April 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan Workers’ Trade Unions Federation (SWTUF) has signed an agreement this week with its South Sudan’s counterpart which aims in part to resolve issues related to financial obligations due to southern Sudanese workers.

The two side have agreed on supporting implementation matrix of cooperation agreement between the two countries, addressing workers issues, securing workers rights, promoting peace and stability between the two countries, promoting investment opportunities as well as joint projects and exchanging information and coordinating in regional forums.

The chairman of SWTF, Ibrahim Ghandour, who spoke at the close of talks Thursday, disclosed that the two sides are seeking to enforce the agreement and enhance cooperation, particularly in items of training, wages, and pensions for South Sudan’s workers who served in Sudan, besides paying arrears accrued to South Sudan since 2004.

The head of South Sudan’s Workers Trade Union, Simon Deng Paul, on his part, declared their commitment to implement what has been agreed upon, stressing the need for coordination between the two sides in all domains. He noted Sudan’s commitment to establish 10 training centers in South Sudan.

In September of last year, both Sudan and South Sudan signed a series of cooperation agreements, which covered oil, citizenship rights, security issues, banking, border trade among others.

After several months of an apparent setback, the two countries signed an implementation matrix last month for these cooperation agreements.

(ST)