trade union movement: nairobi conference global

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Global development agenda, decent work and social justice: Challenges for AfricanTrade Union Movement:

Nairobi conference

Global development agenda and its implications for African workers

Presentation by:

Mohammed Mwamadzingo,Regional Desk Officer for Africa, ILO/ACTRAV Geneva

Sarova Stanley Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya12-14 February 2014

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Key concerns of trade unions in the global agenda in 2014

1. The current status and future of

organized labour

2. The future of capitalism and

globalization

3. The major geopolitical uncertainties

4. The digital world

5. Leadership and societal values

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Most urgent global issues in 2014

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Key challenges facing Africa in 2014

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Key challenges facing Africa in 2014

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Agenda 1: The future of organized labour

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• Union development, union decline

• Union splits

• Recruiting and organizing

– Youth in trade unions

– Women in trade unions

• Union leadership

• Union politics and activism

• Union solidarity and the global economy

Agenda 2: The future of capitalism and globalization

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• As the pace of globalization continues to

increase, new opportunities and challenges will

arise.

– Globalization has brought immense benefits

to many sectors,

– But, many more countries and individuals

remain and continue to become increasingly

vulnerable.

Agenda 2: The future of capitalism and globalization

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Agenda 2: The future of capitalism and globalizationIs advancing globalization having a positive or negative impact?

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Agenda 2: The future of capitalism and globalizationAre you confident that current global leadership has the capacity to solve severe income inequalities?

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Agenda 2: The future of capitalism and globalization-Summary

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• Globalization is creating a world that is more

volatile with increased economic uncertainty.

• Globalization seem to be creating de-

globalization, and are even co-existing.

• There is loss of trust in the ability of

governments (even if democratically elected)

and business leaders to resolve crises and

improve lives in their communities.

Agenda 3: Geopolitical uncertainties

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• Around the world, 1.6 billion people are affected

by conflict.

• The international community has been

successful at reducing overall levels of violence,

but regional hotspots continue to flare at

enormous human and economic cost.

• Question: what is the source of global conflict?

Agenda 3: Geopolitical uncertaintiesWill political stability increase or decrease in your region?

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Agenda 3: Geopolitical uncertaintiesWhat is the source of global conflict?

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• Much of the global conflict is not security conflict,

but economic conflict.

– Examples in Africa

• Kenya,

• South Africa,

• Somalia,

• Mali,

• Nigeria

• Central African Republic


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• Much of the global conflict is not security conflict,

but economic conflict.

• Current geopolitical risks:

– Middle East / North Africa: what was seen as

Arab Spring in 2012 is now turning to be a

societal polarization

– Eurozone crisis

– Rise of China (most important and

dangerous)


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dangerous) and its implication on Africa

• China has been matching its growing economic

might by expanding its military muscle

• China has the second largest military expenditure

in the world and increasing by 10% each year for

the last 2 decades

• China’s military muscle is not visible in Africa

• China’s presence in infrastructure development

(Tazara in 1975, airports, stadia, high-rise

buildings, roads, housing, state houses)


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dangerous) and its implication on Africa

• China gives Africa USD 18 billion each year,

45.7% of its global aid. Are there no poor countries

in Asia?

• Africa is hosting about 1 million Chinese migrants

• Deeper discussion between Africa and China

– New scramble (“new liberalism”) for Africa

– Social tensions (Coal mines in Zambia, gold mining in

Ghana, Lesotho, Ethiopia)

– Nature of investment vis-a-vis direct poverty alleviation

– Cultural integration

– Language barriers

Agenda 3: Geopolitical uncertaintiesSummary

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• African institutions have not evolved to

adapt to current geopolitical uncertainties

• Disparity between rich and poor will be a

big source of conflict in many regions of

the world

• Youth unemployment is unravelling social

cohesion and eroding social peace

Agenda 4: The digital world

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• ITUC Third World Congress 2014 (18-23

May 2014) will be a paperless event.

– What does it mean to an African trade

union leader?

• Today’s leaders (including trade union

leaders) have been trained in a world that

no longer exists.


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• Positive attributes of the digital world

– Vast amounts of data are sent and received

by billions of interconnected devices

– Much more power and storage of data

– Different sources and kinds of data: social

networking sites, mobile communications

– Intimate information about people giving

insights that help us to function better in the

real world


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• Negative attributes of the digital world

– Lack of trusted relationships

– Challenges to incumbent power structures,

exposing vulnerabilities

– Lack of cohesion-divisions and

fragmentations remain

Trade unions and the digital divide

Agenda 5: Restoring leadership and societal values

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• The mistrust in governments and institutions is

growing, as today’s economic and political

systems struggle to come to terms with the

complexities and interdependencies of the 21st

century.

• People today are more influenced by their

friends than by political doctrine or famous

people. And those friends could be from

anywhere.


• In Africa, we have seen too many people who

seek leadership in order to make money, exert

influence and spread money to their friends and

cronies

• Young people tend to have the strongest

feelings: not at all satisfied with the attention

governments give to a lack of values in

leadership

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– Challenge leaders and institutions to

have the will and wisdom to make a

break with the old ways of doing things

– Back to basic values that we have lost

due to greed and drive for excellence

– Search of role models-leadership is

critical to demonstrating values and

ethical action

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Organize: Unions must consolidate their ranks, reach out

and organize more workers in the factories, offices and

in the communities, build unity with other oppressed and

exploited sections in our society and internationally.

Trade union unity: is a prerequisite for the labour world to

play its rightful role in the management of public affairs,

both at the national level and at the regional level.

Workers’ education and research: Unions must deepen

their understanding of the failure of the free-market

globalization phenomenon and call for a new

sustainable—economic, social, and ideological—

paradigm.25

Implications for trade unions

Restore social values: Unions must assume their original

role as in the 1950s and 1960s. We must be the

champions of social values in our communities. 50

years of political bickering has shown that politicians and

NGOs cannot be trusted.

– We must teach our communities to say “jambo”,

“thank you”, and “please”.

– We must integrate our original African social values

within the modern social networking arrangements

– We must emphasize on “respect”

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Provide “role models” : Again, just as we provided guidance

to the independence movements, we are now called to

provide “role models” to our societies.

- We must demonstrate our nationalist and Pan-

Africanism to our communities.

- We must reincarnate the likes of Rashid Kawawa,

Ahmed Tlili, Wogu Ananaba and Tom Mboya.

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Trade unions must be

visible in AU Agenda

2063:• African Identity and Renaissance,

• The struggle against colonialism and

the right to self-determination of

people still under colonial rule,

• Integration Agenda,

• Agenda for Social and Economic

Development,

• Agenda for Peace and Security,

• Democratic Governance,

• Determining Africa’s Destiny, and

• Africa’s place in the world

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Thank you

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Global development agenda, decent work and social justice: Challenges for African Trade Union Movement:Nairobi conference

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