ITUC-Africa

La CSI-Afrique adresse ses plus sincères félicitations à Son Excellence le Président Denis Sassou Nguesso et au gouvernement de la République du Congo pour leur annonce historique : l'exemption de visa en faveur de tous les citoyens africains, à compter de janvier 2027.

Annoncée lors des assemblées annuelles de la Banque africaine de développement, à l'occasion de la Journée de l'Afrique, cette décision est un acte puissant de solidarité et d'unité panafricaines.

✅ Elle ouvre des voies de mobilité plus sûres et régulières
✅ Elle favorise l'accès à des emplois décents
✅ Elle renforce l'intégration régionale et le commerce intra-africain
✅ Elle concrétise les idéaux de l'Agenda 2063 et de la ZLECAf

La CSI-Afrique espère que cet exemple inspirera d'autres gouvernements africains à agir. L'Afrique doit ouvrir ses frontières à ses propres citoyens.


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STATEMENT | African Workers Sound the Alarm on Mission 300

At the sidelines of the 2026 African Development Bank Annual Meeting in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, ITUC-Africa, Public Services International (PSI), and IndustriAll Global Union have issued a joint statement challenging the AfDB's Mission 300 initiative.

What is Mission 300?
Launched in April 2024, Mission 300 aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, backed by $48 billion in concessional financing from the World Bank Group and the AfDB.

Why are African workers concerned?
Mission 300 mirrors the AfDB's failed "New Deal on Energy for Africa" — a decade-old initiative that promised 100% urban and 95% rural electricity access by 2025. Today, roughly 600 million sub-Saharan Africans remain without electricity.
Like its predecessor, Mission 300 relies on attracting private investment rather than strengthening public utilities — at a time when the World Bank itself acknowledges the financing gap stands at $35–$50 billion per year.

What do African workers demand?
We call for a Reclaim & Restore (R&R) approach that:
🔹 Rebuilds and adequately funds public utilities
🔹 Rejects "full cost recovery" policies that financially cripple utilities
🔹 Redirects financing from private Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to public utilities with a clear electrification mandate
🔹 Calls on African governments to repeal privatisation laws imposed during structural adjustment in the 1980s–90s
Ensuring the wellbeing of 600 million Africans without electricity is our priority — and it requires a fundamentally different set of policies.
📄 Read the full statement: [www.ituc-africa.org]


tucc_sa FES Trade Union Competence Centre Sub-Saharan Africa - TUCC Industriall YOUTH, GHANA IndustriALL Global Union

Migrant Resource Centers (MRCs) must work closely with governments, trade unions and institutions to strengthen migrant protection systems across Africa.

The ATUMNET Meeting reinforced the need for stronger coordination, peer learning and collaboration to promote safe, fair and human-centered migration systems. ✊🏿
FairRecruitment

ITUC-Africa Welcomes the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Right to Strike

The International Court of Justice (The Hague) has issued an advisory opinion affirming that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention No. 87 of 1948. ITUC-Africa hails this decision as legally sound and grounded in strong moral, historical, and democratic principles.

The labour movement was not built through charity. It was built through struggle, sweat, blood, and the sacrifices of countless workers. Every gain workers enjoy today — fair wages, regulated hours, safe workplaces, maternity protection, pensions, and collective bargaining — was won because workers organised and retained the power to withdraw their labour.

Freedom of association without the ability to act collectively ceases to have meaning. A union that cannot call a strike when dialogue fails is a union reduced to symbolism without power.

At a time when workers across Africa face deepening inequality, rising costs of living, and shrinking civic space, the right to strike is more imperative than ever.

ITUC-Africa reaffirms: the right to strike is not secondary, optional, or negotiable. It is inherent in the very existence of trade unionism — and we will continue to defend it firmly, consistently, and without apology.

🔗 Read the full statement: www.ituc-africa.org


Joel Akhator Odigie International Labour Organization

Réunion stratégique virtuelle : Préparation de la Journée de l'Afrique et de la Conférence internationale du Travail

Date et heure : 21 mai 2026 à 9h30 (heure de Lomé)

Description
Cette réunion préparatoire rassemblera partenaires et camarades afin d'harmoniser les perspectives syndicales en amont de la Journée de l'Afrique et de la Conférence internationale du Travail. Elle portera sur les principaux défis politico-économiques qui affectent les travailleurs et le développement démocratique en Afrique. Thèmes clés : - Paix et sécurité - Démocratie - Kleptocratie - Inégalités

Participer à la réunion Zoom

https://ituc-africa-org.zoom.us/j/85875097594?pwd=ADtnQ7XhGjnbU4qyfTRcrww4EzPvCa.1
ID de réunion : 858 7509 7594
Code secret : AfDayILC

Norad Oxfam

Virtual Strategy Meeting: Preparation for Africa Day & the International Labour Conferencee

Date & Time : May 21, 2026 09:30 AM in Africa/Lome

Description
This preparatory meeting will bring together partners and comrades to align trade union perspectives ahead of Africa Day and the International Labour Conference, with a focus on the major political economy challenges affecting workers and democratic development in Africa. Key Discussion Areas: - Peace and Security - Democracy - Kleptocracy - Inequality

Join the Zoom meeting

https://ituc-africa-org.zoom.us/j/85875097594?pwd=ADtnQ7XhGjnbU4qyfTRcrww4EzPvCa.1
Meeting ID: 858 7509 7594
Password: AfDayILC

ITUC-AFRICA SOLIDARITY STATEMENT ON PALESTINE AND THE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA

ITUC-Africa, representing over 18 million African workers, expresses its profound solidarity with the people of Palestine and their relentless hope for a future of justice.

We support the Global Sumud Flotilla and salute the courage of our counterpart organisation, HAK-İŞ Confederation, for its commitment to delivering humanitarian support to Palestinians. However, we are gravely concerned by reports that the Flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters — and that Ms. Fatma Zengin, Deputy General Secretary of HAK-İŞ, was detained alongside other peaceful humanitarian volunteers.

The criminalisation of humanitarian solidarity is a violation of international law and human rights. It must stop.

ITUC-Africa reiterates its unwavering support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people — their right to dignity, freedom, self-determination, and statehood. Lasting peace cannot be achieved through occupation, blockade, violence, forced displacement, or collective punishment.

As African trade unions whose liberation struggles were built on international solidarity against colonialism and apartheid, we call for urgent international action.

We demand:
🔴 Immediate release of all detained flotilla participants
🔴 Full protection of humanitarian volunteers
🔴 An immediate ceasefire
🔴 Unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza
🔴 Renewed diplomatic efforts toward a just and lasting two-state solution

We stand with the international trade union movement and all peace-loving people in demanding justice, accountability, and protection of innocent civilian lives.

Issued in Lomé, Togo | 20 May 2026
— Akhator Joel Odigie, General Secretary, ITUC-Africa


Hak-İş Konfederasyonu IndustriALL Global Union

AFRICAN WORKERS SALUTE TOGO'S BOLD PAN-AFRICAN VISA-FREE POLICY

ITUC-Africa, representing over 18 million African workers, commends the Government of Togo for its historic decision to open its doors to all African citizens holding valid national passports — visa-free — for stays of up to 30 days.

This bold step is a powerful demonstration of Pan-Africanism, African unity, and continental integration as envisioned under Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

We also salute Rwanda, Benin, Seychelles, The Gambia, Ghana, and Kenya for leading by example. We call on all African governments yet to act to do so decisively — in the interest of African integration and shared prosperity.

But we must go further. Visa liberalisation alone is not enough. Africa must build regional industries, develop value chains, and create decent jobs for its workers. For too long, Africa has exported raw materials and imported finished goods — a model that has failed our workers and our continent.

At a time of growing global uncertainty, Africa must stand together — economically and politically. Togo's decision is not just a migration reform; it is a statement of African dignity, solidarity, and transformation.

Issued in Lomé, Togo | 19 May 2026
— Akhator Joel Odigie, General Secretary, ITUC-Africa


@ Présidence du Conseil du Togo Nationale Pour l'Emploi - ANPE Togo

Day 2 of the Regional Workshop on Strengthening Coordination and Peer Exchange Among Migrant Resource Centers (MRCs) in Africa focused on collaborative discussions and solution-driven engagement.
Through breakout sessions and group dialogues, participants explored ways to improve:
• Access to justice and remedies
• Protection of migrant workers
• Community outreach and migrant support
• Reintegration assistance
• Pre-departure orientation and information sharing
The conversations highlighted the importance of stronger coordination, peer exchange and ethical labour migration systems that place migrants’ dignity, safety and rights at the center. ✊🏿
AfricaUnite