Welfare of workers: ITUC-Africa urges trade unions to champion solution-driven engagements with govts
Trade unions across Africa have been called upon to move beyond complaints and actively engage governments in finding practical solutions to the worsening hardship facing workers on the continent. The
- By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja
Trade unions across Africa have been called upon to move beyond complaints and actively engage governments in finding practical solutions to the worsening hardship facing workers on the continent.
The General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation Africa (ITUC-Africa), Akhator Odigie, made the call at the opening of the Commission 2026 New Year School held in Lomé, Togo, where labour leaders gathered to deliberate on the future of work and economic justice in Africa.
Speaking in a tone that reflected growing concern over workers’ conditions, Odigie said the realities on the ground demanded urgent, solution-driven engagement rather than endless lamentation.
He noted that workers on the continent consistently struggle with rising unemployment, economic instability, and policy decisions taken far beyond the continent’s borders.
Odigie said, “Our organisation was not created to complain—it was created to find solutions.
“The world is in a serious storm—one we cannot ignore.”
He warned that sudden decisions by powerful nations can cripple fragile economies and cost thousands of jobs overnight.
According to him, while trade unions have recorded gains over the years, those achievements are now under serious threat, making it imperative for labour leaders to organise, mobilise, and engage governments more strategically.
“The gains we have secured over the years are under serious attack, and we must defend them,” he stressed.
Odigie also drew attention to the human side of the crisis, noting that many African youths are losing hope amid shrinking job opportunities and worsening living conditions.
The ITUC-AFRICA general secretary warned that without peace, security, and deliberate economic policies, meaningful development would remain a distant dream.
On climate change, he decried what he described as an unfair global system where Africa contributes minimally to emissions but suffers the harshest consequences.
“They pollute, but resist paying for the damage,” he said, citing the increasing cases of floods, displacement, and loss of livelihoods across the continent.
He urged African governments and stakeholders to take responsibility for shaping the continent’s future.
“We must find African solutions to African problems,” he added.
Also speaking, President of ITUC-Africa, Martha Molema, stressed the need to rethink Africa’s economic model, warning that reliance on raw material exports has failed to deliver jobs and sustainable growth.
“Experience has shown that trade liberalisation alone does not automatically lead to development,” she said.
She, however, identified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a major opportunity to transform African economies—if properly implemented.
“Its success must not be measured only by trade volumes, but by the number of decent jobs created and improvements in workers’ living conditions,” she said.
Molema emphasised that trade unions must not be sidelined in policy decisions, especially those relating to trade and industrialisation, as such decisions have direct consequences on jobs and livelihoods.
“Social dialogue must not be an afterthought—it must be embedded in the system,” she stated.
On energy and climate transition, she warned that without access to affordable energy, industrial growth and job creation would remain unattainable.
“Without energy, there can be no industry. Without industry, there can be no decent jobs. Without decent jobs, there can be no social stability,” she said.
Both leaders agreed that Africa’s challenges—ranging from unemployment and insecurity to climate change and weak industrial capacity—are interconnected and require coordinated, people-centred solutions.
They urged trade unions to take the lead in pushing for policies that prioritise workers, insisting that only deliberate action and sustained engagement with governments can reverse the current trend.
“If we remain passive, nothing will change. “But if we organise, mobilise, and act, change is possible,” Odigie concluded.
