By Michael Oche
The African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has outlined eight priority areas for the newly elected president of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Youssouf, Djibouti’s Foreign Minister since 2005 was elected during the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, defeating candidates Raila Odinga of Kenya and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar. He succeeds Moussa Faki of Chad and will serve a four-year term.
ITUC-Africa, representing over 18 million workers across 52 African countries in a congratulatory letter signed by General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie, urged Youssouf to focus on the areas that lead to Africa’s transformation.
Odigie listed economic hardships and wage suppression, democracy and governance, advancing trade and investment through AfCFTA, infrastructure and free movement of people as some of the key areas.
Others include; environmental degradation and unregulated mining, promoting youth employment and industrialisation, advancing women’s empowerment and social protection and strengthening the role of Trade Unions in Africa’s Development.
ITUC-Africa noted that these areas are essential to the well-being and aspirations of African workers and the broader population.
On strengthening democracy and governance, ITUC-Africa said “Africa must reinforce democratic governance to ensure participatory and accountable leadership. Recent trends show a decline in voter participation and a shrinking space for civil liberties, including the rights to freedom of association, expression, and assembly. We urge your administration to champion genuine participatory democracy, where citizens actively shape their nations’ futures, and to support human rights defenders in their efforts to uphold democratic values.”
The letter, while urging the new Chairperson to address economic hardships and wage suppression, noted that millions of African workers are struggling with rising inflation and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, yet wages remain stagnant or are actively suppressed.
“We call upon the AUC to promote policies that ensure fair and livable wages for all workers, addressing income inequalities and ensuring decent work conditions as fundamental pillars of economic stability and social justice,” the letter stated.
It reads further, “Advancing Trade and Investment through AfCFTA: Trade and investment, when effectively structured, can drive job led economic growth. AfCFTA has the potential to boost intra African trade significantly, but for it to be effective, it must incorporate robust labour protections and fair working conditions. We call on your leadership to ensure that trade agreements prioritise workers’ rights, social protections, and fair industrial policies, enabling African economies to transition from dependence on raw material exports to manufacturing and value added industries.
“Strengthening the Role of Trade Unions in Africa’s Development: Trade unions ensure that economic and political policies prioritise workers’ rights, fair wages, and social protection provisions. We urge your administration to foster an open and constructive dialogue with African trade unions to ensure workers’ concerns and aspirations are fully integrated into the AUC’s development strategies.
“Promoting Youth Employment and Industrialisation: With over 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, the challenge of youth unemployment requires urgent attention. We urge the AUC to continue to drive policies that promote skills development, industrialisation, and manufacturing, ensuring that young Africans are equipped with the tools to secure decent jobs and contribute to the continent’s economic transformation.”
