At the school hosted in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, some participants revealed their feelings about the school and its activities. CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, present excerpts.
An emerging solidarity in trade unionism is pushing African workers to actively engage governments, continental and regional organisations on topical issues, proffering practical solutions to free the continent from the shackles of deep-seated exploitation, overwhelming debt, unemployment, poor wages, and extreme poverty.
This growing movement is being driven by the strong solidarity of trade unions, unified under the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) through its New Year School (NYS) initiative.
Established in 2011 and initially hosted in Togo, the NYS has evolved into a formidable platform for education, trade union unity, and direct engagement with African governments and organizations through its host country. It amplifies advocacy messages calling for social justice and economic reforms to advance development and improve the lives and living conditions of the African people.
At the 15th edition of the NYS, held in Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, from February 25 to 28, just like its 14th edition in 2024, hosted in Lusaka, Zambia; the School introduced an awareness rally as a key part of its activities. This initiative connected with market women, secondary and university students, civil society organizations, and the general public in the host country. It urged African governments for economic reforms, tasked the World Bank, IMF, EU, US, China and other creditors to cancel Africa’s crippling debts, and demanded for social justice.
The School is a step in the right direction, says Professor Dung Pam Sha, of the Department of Political Science, University of Jos (Nigeria), who is also a Member, African Labour Research Network. The NYS has been a great working class education initiative. Conducted at the continental level, is good because it allows trade union leaders, educators, organisers, researchers and supportive partners to discuss issues affecting workers globally and those in Africa.
It provides an opportunity for participants to learn the same/similar issues affecting the African people. The forum provides an opportunity for the working class to recommit to fighting for workers rights and those of other citizens in Africa.
The conception and design of the school have met the objectives which it was created to achieve: knowledge generation and experience sharing, and consciousness building. There is the need to deepen the curriculum and pedagogy to ensure that the knowledge and experience permeate the rank and file of the labour movement in Africa. Those trained should be mandatorily made to cascade the training at national and shop floor levels.
ITUC-AFRICA should design a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure that the targets of the School are achieved. There is a need for more innovation in the design of public action.
On her thought, Priya Gupta, Director of Gender, Mauritius Trade Union Congress, and the President, Mauritius Physical Education and Sports Employees Union, says it educates workers on how best to engage the government. “The New Year School is a very good initiative. I see it as a foundation to educate and further empower African trade unions with ideas on how best to engage our governments in demand for a better welfare and living condition for workers and citizens. It is indeed a way forward for trade unions in Africa. Personally I have learnt a lot these two times I attended the School (in Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire). The topics and issues that are discussed and the educational method are really effective, though I think there is need for improvement. I look forward to seeing the School bringing more trade union leaders and sharing experiences on how trade unions deal with challenging issues in their various countries. I also think the sessions could be more practical on the best method to deal with difficult situations where governments are very difficult to engage.
For Romaine Kakero, Youth Focal Person, Trade Union Congress of Namibia, the School strengthens trade unions to stay focused. The ITUC-Africa New Year School is very impactful. Why? Because it equips young people like us and those that are new in the trade union movement with the requisite knowledge and skills to drive the demand for workers’ rights and protection of their interests in our various countries. I feel the School strengthens us to stay focused.
“Specifically, I like the fact that there are a lot of women and youth representation in the School and that the School is gradually becoming a strong unifier for African trade unions. Importantly, I also love that the School has become a big platform through which African trade unions fraternize directly with the host country’s government and by extension governments in Africa, on topical and pivotal issues, proffering solutions and demanding for action to better the living condition of Africans now and in the future.
“The school also represents a space where future African leaders are being molded. It is indeed a platform where the older generation teaches the younger generation what has worked best and what is the best way to deal with emerging issues.”
The Secretary General of Botswana Federation of Trade Unions, Tshepiso Mbereki, said the School is a game changer. The ITUC Africa School is a very good initiative and has had quite a positive impact in terms of teaching. Awareness is very important in trade unionism, and the School has just been doing that. This year’s School looked at the issue of employability. We are very aware that in Africa, youth unemployment is very high, and this is the time that we need to come up with strategies on how to make our young people employable and advocate policy change from our governments. So the School is quite important, informative and a game changer. I see the School as a step in the right direction. It has taken place for the last 15 years. It’s growing. And I like the fact that it doesn’t reside in one country. It moves to countries, giving participants the opportunity to experience the host country and their citizens to fraternize with School and the issues especially through the rally. So the school is actually a step in the right direction, and I want to see it grow even bigger than here, to accommodate even more delegates so that we can share more ideas and information on how we can grow our continent and how we can advocate and grow our trade unions.
And for Akampwera Ritah Ditah, a Committee Member of Ugandan National Organisation of Trade Unions, it’s a strategic platform to shape Africa’s labour movement. The ITUC-Africa New Year School is more than just a gathering. To me, it is a strategic platform for shaping the future of the African labour movement. It sets the tone for the year by fostering deep reflections, knowledge exchange, and proactive strategies to address the evolving challenges faced by workers across the continent. What makes this initiative particularly compelling for me, is its focus on empowering trade unions with advancements and insights on pivotal issues, enhancing social justice advocacy, and amplifying the voices of workers in policy formulation. At a time when global economic shifts, technological advancements, and climate change are redefining labour dynamics, ITUC-Africa’s direction which is rooted in solidarity, innovation, and progressive policy engagements, is a beacon of hope for sustainable and inclusive labour rights in Africa. If it continues to harness collective intelligence and bold action, the platform could redefine the future of work on the continent, ensuring that African labour movements remain resilient, relevant, and revolutionary. I hope that the country’s representatives attending the School will make it a duty to always pick one or two ideas back home and ensure implementation. For those who are yet to key-in into the concept of the School, I hope they soon understand that a strong continental trade union movement such as the School provides, is a much needed strength to achieve the desired decent work and better living conditions for workers and African people.”
and then