PROFILE OF ITUC-Africa

1. PROFILE OF ITUC-Africa Profile of ITUC-Africa ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials ITUC-Africa’s Development Challenges In Search of a Development Strategy for ITUC-Africa

2. PROFILE OF ITUC-Africa • ITUC-Africa is a regional trade union organisation that was founded following a merger between the former ICFTU-AFRO and DOAWTU in Accra, Ghana on 27th November 2007. • ITUC-Africa represents 16 million workers organised in 88 national trade union centres in 46 African countries.

3. Vision of ITUC-Africa • ITUC-Africa’s vision is to achieve a united, democratic and independent regional trade union organisation that works for the welfare of all African workers, in a world where everyone can realise their full potentials under conditions of freedom, equality and social justice.

4. Mission of ITUC-Africa • To attain the above vision, ITUC-Africa has set itself a mission to strengthen the trade unions in Africa and provide a common voice for all African workers to realise a healthy and safe working environment and a decent life for all by fighting all forms of exploitation and discrimination, defending human and trade union rights, promoting social justice, peace, democracy and vigorously pursuing the preservation of the environment.

5. 1st Priority of the New Organisation • The first task that the new organisation has taken is to harmonise and strengthen its Secretariat with a view to achieving the full benefits of a unified organisation. • An important part of this activity is embodied in the collective effort to develop a Strategic Plan for the ITUC-Africa from the Programme of Action that was adopted at its Founding Congress.

6. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • ITUC-Africa represents a united vision and an appropriate countervailing force with huge potential and capacity to fundamentally influence global capital with a view to restoring respect and dignity for our continent and people. • ITUC-Africa’s 16 million members organised in 88 national trade union centres in 46 African countries provide significant regional representation and is a source of strength.

7. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • Besides the availability of trained professional staff, an emergent transparency and team effort, a participative management system, open internal communication, availability of training centre and the unique advantage to fall on the solidarity of the ITUC family comprising 168 million workers organised in 311 national trade union centres in 155 countries and territories also constitute a huge potential and source of strength for the new regional organisation.

8. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • ITUC-Africa’s mandate to combat poverty, exploitation, oppression and inequality by ensuring conditions for the enjoyment of universal human rights and promoting effective representation of working people throughout Africa as well as its recognition that, to succeed, it must draw inspiration from the rich body of existing policy and experience of its predecessors (ICFTU-AFRO and DOAWTU), adopts new working methods and mobilise regional and worldwide action in support of its objectives is an added value and source of hope.

9. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • ITUC-Africa’s clarion call on all its affiliated unions to remain active, committed and vigilant in discharging the shared responsibility of achieving national, regional and global solidarity is a solid appeal for all and sundry to live up to their responsibilities.

10. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • ITUC-Africa’s Secretariat direct relationship with ITUC, all its affiliates, other trade union formations, allied civil society organisation, employers’ organisations, AU institutions, COOPAfrica, ILO and other UN agencies within the African region is a strength.

11. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • The mandate given by Congress to ITUC-Africa’s General Secretary to implement the policies set out in its Programme of Action through a combination of advocacy, mobilisation and campaign work and working closely with Cooperation Partners, Global Union Federations and Friendly Organisations is inspirational and source of hope for a brighter future.

12. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • ITUC-Africa’s pledge to join forces with the rest of the ITUC affiliated unions to change globalisation fundamentally, so that it works for working women and men, the unemployed and poor is a ray of hope for achieving a socially balanced growth and development. • The gradual cultivation of a culture of good governance in Africa, the emergence of good business environment, enhanced membership capabilities, positive attitude towards tripartism and the existence of a host of strategic partners are significant opportunities, which the ITUC-Africa can tap into in its effort to achieve its objectives.

13. ITUC-Africa’s Development Potentials • A clear recognition of the role that ITUC-Africa and its affiliates continue to play in varying degrees in terms of securing benefits for working people and in extending frontiers of freedom, democracy, good governance and social progress is an added value.

14. ITUC-Africa’s Development Challenges • Numerically, the 16 million members of the ITUC-Africa represent less than 4% of Africa’s labour force. • Organisationally, most affiliates of ITUC-Africa are small and weak. This problem is further compounded by the proliferation and fragmentation of the trade union movement, especially at the national level. • In terms of finances and logistics, both the ITUC-Africa and its affiliates are under-resourced.

15. ITUC-Africa’s Development Challenges • The raging conflicts and political upheavals in some parts of Africa; corruption and human rights violations; widespread poverty; un-and-under-employment, which heavily weighs on the youth and women; migrant labour (brain-drain), child labour and human trafficking; gender inequality; informalisation of the economy occasioned by liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation; the signing of the EPAs by some African governments, unfavourable labour legislation; weak investment in public services; neo-liberalism and hike in the prices of food and fuel; HIV/AIDS pandemic and other communicable diseases; poor infrastructure; and natural calamities are all obvious challenges for the ITUC-Africa and its affiliates.

16. ITUC-Africa’s Development Challenges • The challenge posed by global trade policies and the emergence of China, India, Brazil and others as another generation of economic and political powers in the world is considered both as a threat and an opportunity for Africa’s industrialization policy and growth strategy. • Weakness for social dialogue and the institutions for assuring this, as well as the lip service in getting organised labour involved in effective decision-making process.

17. ITUC-Africa’s Programme of Action The Programme of Action covers four strategic areas: • Defending and promoting human and workers’ rights; • Promoting equality and social protection; • Strengthening organisation; • Strengthening economic and social policy intervention. • A fifth priority area comprises the instruments or tools for building general and support services to a standard that provide for the realisation of effective and full potential of ITUC-Africa’s work.

18. Way Forward • Consultation meetings will be held simultaneously around each of the five strategic priority areas of the ITUC-Africa in the course of this year to develop realistic project proposals that will inform its intervention over a four year period (2009 – 2012). The proposals developed will be presented to Cooperating Partners, GUFs, Friendly Organisations at a special meeting that will take place in the last quarter of 2008.