By ; Saber Mohamed
Ericsson and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have officially launched the beginning of the implementation phase of the collaboration between the two sides to enhance Occupational Health and Safety and work conditions in the Information and Communications Technology field in Egypt.
Within the framework of the ILO’s project “Advancing the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa -ADWA”, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), Ericsson and ILO have organized a launching ceremony on Wednesday November 13, 2019.
Attended by representatives from the UNI Global Union and the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), the event emphasized the collaboration of Ericsson, Sida and ILO to enhance labour and corporate responsibility standards and promote the adoption of best practices among suppliers and contractors within the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
Mr. Eric Oechslin, Director of the ILO Cairo Office in his inaugurated speech stated that the cooperation with the private sector sets a priority in the ILO’s work and plays a key role in advancing towards the realization of the ‘Decent Work’ Agenda. He added that employment creation, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue have all become integral elements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Meanwhile, Dr. Per-Axel Frielingsdorf, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo expressed his honor to participate in the launch of the public private partnership between Ericsson and ILO to enhance the occupational safety and health (OSH) and work standards in the ICT sector in Egypt. “Sweden and Sida are proud to support this unique and innovative cooperation to find new ways to work with the decent work agenda,” he stated.
“As a fundamental part of corporate responsibility, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements make up an important aspect of Ericsson’s business whilst we work to meet legal as well as international standards to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Today’s event is a step towards creating a positive safety culture based on our core OHS values of awareness, prevention and care within Egypt’s ICT sector. A central focus of our new project is to increase OHS awareness through consultation and training and by the implementation and enforcement of Ericsson’s Zero Tolerance Safety Rules.” Said Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Head of Ericsson Egypt.
It is worth mentioning that A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed last September between ILO and Ericsson.
