Francis Awoli vows to stay put in Cotu

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has declared interest in defending his position in the union elections next year.

The Cotu leadership vowed to re-elect Atwoli come the 2026 elections.

They said they do not feel threatened by the emerging trade using saying that Cotu cannot lose its legitimacy.

Atwoli was re-elected to serve as a member of the global workers lobby governing body for a record fifth time. 

He won with 97 votes of 130 in an election conducted during the ongoing 112th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Atwoli is the longest serving titular member of International Labour Organisation (ILO) governing body. 

He said his re-election, signified his commitment to serving the interests of workers globally. “This historic re-election not only marks my continued commitment to the international labour movement but also establishes me as the longest-serving member of the ILO governing body and I don’t take it for granted,” he said.  

The ILO, which became a specialised agency of the United Nations in 1946, was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I with the aim of addressing social injustices. 

Serving as the executive council, ILO governing body shapes the policies of workers globally while ensuring rights of workers are upheld