*Call for end to wars in Africa, unveil peace effort
…condemn harmful external influence in Africa
By Michael Oche
As armed conflicts spread across the continent, Africa’s trade unions say they refuse to remain bystanders. Instead, they are taking concrete steps to influence peace, stability, and governance across the region.
With at least 30 African countries currently affected by conflicts, political crisis, or democratic regression, trade unions say the situation continues to impact negatively on the continent, destroying livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and deepening poverty.
They affirmed that workers, who often bear the heaviest burdens of instability, will no longer simply lament, but will lunch a coordinated effort in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and reconciliation across Africa.
These commitments formed part of the discussions and resolutions at a two-day workshop in Nairobi on “Trade Union Contribution to Peace and Security in Africa”, organised by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa).
The workshop also proposed several strategies which workers organisations say they will deploy to support and encourage peacebuilding across the continent.
The push for unions to go beyond traditional workplace struggles and assume a broader role in fostering peace and justice was widely commended by over 35 participants at the workshop drawn from Chad, Mali, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone and other countries.
A major proposal from the meeting held between November 20 – 21, was for the creation of a workers-led Humanitarian Assistance Fund to support African workers trapped in crisis-hit countries through the provision of medicine, food, and other essentials.
Also, a major declaration at the workshop was the resolve by the trade union movement take continental solidarity actions to support workers and communities resisting authoritarianism, corruption, and elite capture of state resources, ensuring that the voices of the marginalized remain central in the quest for peace, justice, and democratic governance.
In his opening remarks, Comrade Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa General Secretary said trade unions will not join in lamentation but will take pragmatic actions to reverse the insecurity across the continent
He outlined several actions the workers’ organisation will take in the coming year to advance peace across Africa.
He announced that ITUC-Africa’s leadership will undertake missions to conflict-affected countries including the AES bloc, Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda to engage governments directly on peace, democracy and workers rights.
He said, “Our business as trade unions is not the business of lamentation. It is about what we think we can do to promote peace in the continent.”
Odigie said the organisation also plans to organise a continental legal clinic to strengthen African trade unions’ capacity for social dialogue and conflict prevention.
He said, “we are equally concerned that the various analyses of these violent conflicts strongly suggest that they are sponsored by external influences in collusion with opportunistic local actors.”
Odigie called for a cessation of hostilities in Sudan, DR Congo, and other crisis-hit nations across the continent.
Participants at the meeting also demanded that African leaders strengthen democratic governance, protect human rights, and listen to workers’ voices.
Comrade Bongani Masuku, head of International Relations at COSATU, in his intervention, stressed that trade unions cannot detach themselves from the social and political issues affecting workers and citizens.
“Trade unions cannot be uninterested in issues affecting their countries, their people, and the continent,” he said.
He noted that, “It is our responsibility to ensure we have a peaceful, just and developmental Africa. That can only happen when there is genuine social dialogue, inclusivity, and the involvement of women and youth.”
Masuku also criticised the negative influence of foreign powers in African affairs.
“We have seen, particularly in West and Central Africa, the destructive interference of France. It is unacceptable to have foreign military troops effectively running affairs in parts of Africa,” he said.
He reaffirmed African trade unions’ commitment to workers struggling for justice across the continent, adding that unions will continue to fight for equitable access to public goods such as health insurance, education, and land.
Masuku further called for stronger collaboration between governments and trade unions.
“Governments must be willing to collaborate with trade unions. We are ready to work with governments, but the aspirations of workers must remain at the forefront. We call on governments to take seriously the voices of workers, youth, women, and the African people on matters that affect them.”
Meanwhile, the meeting ended with an African trade union declaration on peace and security, with the workers giving their commitment to pushing for peace in the continent.
As part of the declaration, the workers commit to take an active role in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and reconciliation across Africa. They resolved to promote and defend decent work as a foundation for lasting stability and peace, pursue collective bargaining that ensures fair wages, secure livelihoods, and socio-economic resilience as pillars of human security.
They also restated their commitment to safeguarding freedom of association, the right to organise, and the right to strike as essential elements of peace and democratic governance, saying that trade unions shall advocate for the full implementation of ILO Recommendation 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, 2017.
The declaration reads in part, “We will continue to advocate for good governance and credible elections that reflect the free will of the people and are aligned with continental and regional democratic norms. We denounce all forms of oligarchic control, kleptocracy, and unconstitutional power grabs motivated by self-interest.
“We call for progressive and fair taxation and strong action against Illicit Financial Flows and corruption. We shall campaign for domestic value-addition and industrialisation that generate employment and protect economic sovereignty. We demand increased investments in: Employment creation and industrialisation, Universal social protection for all workers including those in informal work
“We commit to increasing representation and leadership of youth and women in trade unions and in peace and security governance spaces. We shall promote skills development, apprenticeships and decent green jobs as pathways to peace and inclusion.
“We shall work with stakeholders in fragile and post-conflict contexts to rebuild livelihoods, workplaces and democratic institutions.”
