To mark the 2025 World Day of Social Justice, the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has issued a strong call to African governments, urging them to take decisive action against poverty, hunger, unemployment, and dispossession.
In a statement signed by ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Comrade Akhator Joel Odigie, the African workers umbrella body underscores the urgent need for economic sovereignty, social protection, and fair labour practices to address the continent’s deep-rooted inequalities.
With this year’s theme, ‘Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps for Social Justice’, ITUC-Africa reaffirms its commitment to fostering equality, social justice, and inclusive economic development. However, it warns that Africa remains at the periphery of the global economy due to structural injustices, including energy insecurity, the lingering effects of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), and the rising threat of insecurity. These challenges, the statement notes, have exacerbated poverty, widened inequalities, and hampered the potential for sustainable livelihoods for millions of African workers.
“Africa’s economic sovereignty and right to industrialisation must be non-negotiable,” Odigie declared, emphasising that Africa must harness its resources, invest in value-added industries, and build resilient economies prioritising local job creation and fair wages.
He warned that without a strong industrial base, the continent would remain vulnerable to external shocks and unable to escape the cycle of economic dependency.
ITUC-Africa went on to outlined several key demands to address the continent’s most pressing social and economic issues, saying that; establishing strong safety nets to protect workers from economic shocks and ensuring that no worker is left behind, recognizing that fair wages are a fundamental human right and a necessity for sustainable livelihoods, addressing the disproportionate impact of precarious employment on women and ensuring inclusive labour policies, ensuring that workers are not displaced in the shift to a green economy, but are reskilled and provided with social protections, are very sacrosanct.
The statement also highlights the urgent need for sustainable financing to support Africa’s social and economic transformation. However, it condemns illicit financial flows (IFFs), which siphon billions of dollars out of the continent annually, depriving African nations of critical resources for development.
“The exploitation of Africa’s wealth by multinational corporations and corrupt elites must end,” the statement asserts, calling for urgent reforms to curb capital flight and illicit trade practices.
Also, ITUC-Africa is demanding that African governments; Strengthen tax justice mechanisms to ensure multinational corporations and wealthy elites pay their fair share. Combat corruption and improve governance structures to promote accountability and transparency. Implement global financial reforms to prevent capital flight and illicit trade practices that threaten Africa’s economic stability.
Emphasizing the collective responsibility in the fight for social justice, ITUC-Africa welcomed the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Global Coalition for Social Justice initiative and encouraged social partners across the continent to join. The statement concluded with a call for governments, employers, trade unions, civil society organisations, and international partners to commit to policies and programmes that bridge inequality gaps and uphold the dignity of all workers.
“On this World Day of Social Justice, let us unite in demanding a fairer world—where every worker has access to decent work, every family has social protection, and every African can thrive,” the statement declared.
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