Factsheet: Mobilizing Africa’s Workforce for Development

Background

The African Union recognizes the critical role that Africa’s labour movement can play in the growth, development and prosperity of the continent. In 2009, through its Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate (CIDO), the AU established the AU-OATUU (African Union-Organisation of African Trade Union Unity) partnership forum as part of efforts to implement the strategic pillar on Shared Values.

The principle objective of the partnership is to create a structured platform for cooperation that can harness the support of organized labour toward the integration and development efforts of the African Union.

Since 2009, the AU and OATUU have successfully organized annual partnership forums bringing together representatives of trade unions from across the continent to deliberate on matters of policy design, influencing and implementation.

Achievements

• Shaping Policy
• Lobbied for the ratification of ILO conventions protecting the rights of workers and AU policy instruments on labour migration.
• Called for standardization and harmonization national labour legislative frameworks.
• Spearheaded the establishment of OATUU focal points in different countries to monitor the implementation of ratified conventions and policies and a labour migration observatory to monitor the situation of workers in Africa and overseas.
• Advocated for a flexible visa and work permit regime in Africa and for a continental labour policy.
• Informed the Joint Labour Migration Program (JLMP) which provides the governing architecture for the AU’s approach to migration and development and helped to establish a framework for its implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Participation of Workers in the AU Development Agenda

• Developed a roadmap for the popularization of AU’s Agenda 2063 framework and identified specific roles that can be played by trade unions in its implementation and monitoring.
• Advocated for a people-centric AU whose prosperity is driven by the energy, commitment and enthusiasm of the African people
• Shaped the conversation on peace and security in Africa with a special focus on how workers can contribute to peace and security and what governments can do to ensure social stability. In particular, the partnership has guided on youth employment and how that directly contributes to economic progress and sustainable peace. Additionally, the partnership established a specialized department in charge of training experts in conflict prevention and conflict resolution.
• Facilitated the involvement of workers in the institutionalization of ECOSOCC including active participation in the election process.