Resolving labour disputes within african international organizations

Abstract

The article describes the internal mechanisms for resolving labour disputes between staff and administration within african international intergovernmental organisations, such as: African Union, Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of West African States. It is indicated that within the African Union there are informal and formal stages of dispute resolution – an appeal for review to the chairperson or competent authority of any other body and an appeal to the Administrative Tribunal. It is noted that the Administrative Tribunal is competent to consider applications for violations of the Staff Rules and Regulations; non-observance of contracts of employment and any other acts of employment; and, in certain cases, complaints about disciplinary sanctions. It is emphasised that the feature of protection of labour rights of the African Union staff is the provision enshrined in the Staff Rules and Regulations, according to which a staff member may, under certain circumstances, appeal to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. It is stated that the Southern African Development Community Administrative Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear and resolve labour disputes between the Community Secretariat and any of its institutions. The Tribunal has two levels: First Instance and Appeal Board. It is noted that the system of internal labour dispute resolution of the Economic Community of West African States provides for the submission of an application for review, hierarchical recourse, and referral of the case to the Committee for Conciliation of Staff and Dispute Resolution. An Inter-Institutional Appeals Committee is established to deal with disciplinary appeals in relation to the application of the Staff Regulations, to which employees or their next of kin can apply. It is stated that the staff of any institution may apply to the Court of Justice of the Community after the staff member has exhausted all appeal procedures available to the official under the ECOWAS Staff Rules and Regulations.