Coal is dead, long live coal: strategies from Global South unions

The main questions in the debates as put by Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL Global Union director for mining are: “Can coal be clean, and does it have a future.” Further, what is the role of coal in decarbonisation and the Just Transition? These were the key questions that over 30 participants from IndustriALL affiliates and labour support organizations from the Global South countries in Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa discussed. The unions stressed that a Just Transition from high carbon fossil fuel energy generation to low carbon economies, whose main sources is renewable energy, must prioritise workers interests.

Mpufane said the future of coal should be discussed within the context of a Just Transition for coal mineworkers and power dynamics in the energy transition. He said that in most instance, the Global North exerts pressure on the Global South to decarbonize while simultaneously using other fossil fuels. He said: 

“The US, Canada, and Australia – the self-styled climate champions – have issued 60 per cent of new oil and gas licenses since 2020.” 

Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary said a Just Transition must consider job security as coal mining employs 7 million workers globally, with 2.5 million from the Global South. He argued that “a rapid phase-out of coal risks massive job losses.” There were social costs to mine closures that included lost wages, community collapse, and the destruction of local and regional economies. But these can be mitigated by a Just Transition plan that protected workers interests, he said.

The online seminar discussed how unions were responding to the debates on the future of coal. Igor Diaz said 80,000 livelihoods in Colombia depended on coal, yet the government’s energy transition announcements lacked a concrete labour plan. In response, the unions proposed retraining subsidies, public investment in clean coal research and development, and a joint action plan for inclusive transition policies that protected workers’ welfare.

Martin Kaggwa, director of the Sam Tambani Research Institute, affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa, said trade unions must embrace technology’s potential to make clean coal. He gave examples of coal direct chemical looping (CDCL), a process which reduces carbon emissions by 40 per cent when compared to traditional combustion. He argued that if CDCL is increased there are chances that it could extend coal’s economic life. The technology aligns with climate goals and offers opportunities for transition strategies for coal-dependent economies in the Global South, he said.

One of the issues raised by the online seminar is the protection of workers’ rights amid retrenchments by coal mining companies. Busisiwe Matizerd from the NUM said unions must continue to fight retrenchments and precarious working conditions by coal mining companies that included Seriti which recently retrenched over 1137 workers in South Africa.

The online seminar heard that in Indonesia, where coal provided affordable electricity which constituted 60 per cent of the country’s national grid, unions were resisting privatization of public power utilities which they feared would make electricity expensive for workers and the poor.

As a way forward, the IndustriALL regional secretaries of Latin America and the Caribbean, South East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, agreed to a joint action plan and coordinated responses on the South-South trade union position on the future of coal. For example, the unions agreed to document their local transition experiences, for example, from Colombia’s stalled reforms and Botswana’s labour laws. The unions will also engage groups like Future Coal on environmental, social and governance issues, and amplify the Global South trade union voices on the urgency of a Just Transition for coal miners.

Photo: Coal mine in Ethiopia, Flickr, Jasmine Halki

South African mineworkers fight to save diamond mining jobs

Petra Diamond attributes the market downturn—the longest in 30 years—to global conditions, China's economic slowdown and the rise of lab-grown diamonds. Additionally, the diamond mining company says there is debt refinancing, operational underperformance, cost reduction and restructuring as some of the reasons for the retrenchments. But the NUM, an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, is not convinced by the company’s arguments.

“The NUM believes these justifications are pretexts to sacrifice workers and shield executives from accountability for operational failures. A counterproposal submitted by the NUM, designed to save the company six million rand (US$328,525) and avert retrenchments, was summarily rejected by Petra Mine management,” said Masibulele Naki, NUM chief negotiator in the diamond sector.
 
The NUM took Petra Diamonds to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration(CCMA) as part of its challenge to the retrenchments. Further, to alleviate the plight of the affected workers, the NUM signed a memorandum of understanding with Petra Diamond, to pay a R10,000 (US$550) each as relocation allowance to the affected workers. According to the union, the agreement includes a twelve-month recall clause and a committee will be set up to support the affected workers.
 
Other diamond mining companies that are retrenching workers include De Beers, which has given notice to 308 workers at Venetia Mine.
 
Further, the union is calling for urgent social dialogue that will include the Minerals Council of South Africa, diamond mining companies, the government and labour to address the crisis facing the country’s diamond industry. 
 
Mpho Phakedi, NUM acting general secretary, expressed concerns over the retrenchments, not only in the diamond sector, but in mining in general. “Mine workers are facing a bleak future of poverty and unemployment. Retrenchment notices have been issued at Anglo Platinum, De Beers, Petra Diamonds, Murray and Roberts Mining and Seriti resources and thousands of jobs will be lost.” 
 
“Diamond mining companies must always prioritize workers interests when faced with market volatility instead of rushing to retrench workers. They must seek business models that are sustainable and those that create and preserve jobs. Social dialogue with the unions is necessary to deal with challenges facing diamond mining,” says Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL Director for mining and diamonds.

South Africa: NUM national women’s conference vows to fight patriarchy, gender-based violence at work

The conference, in which trade union federations, global unions and civil society organizations participated was held under the theme: Working class women advancing socio-economic transformation. The union urged working women to confront and uproot patriarchal systems and practices from the world of work in South Africa. “The NUM continues to promote gender equality, challenge traditional gender roles and is committed to increasing women’s participation,” read some of the resolutions. The participants called upon law enforcement agencies to deal decisively with increasing cases of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
 
Africa Civic Education Foundation (ACEP) which is working with the NUM, an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, on a programme to stop GBVF presented grim statistics on rape and sexual assault. ACEP said from October to December 2024 there were 11,803 cases of rape and 2,188 cases of sexual assault that were reported to the South African Police Service.

The unions said although South Africa has laws and policies to stop GBVF, implementation is poor. The laws include the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2007 and the Criminal Procedure Act 1997. South Africa also has a national policy on the prevention of femicide. The policy states that: “Femicide, the killing of women and girls, is the most extreme and severe form of gender-based violence.”
 
The conference, which was convened by the NUM women’s structure which represents women workers from mining, energy, construction and metal industries, also coincided with the International Women’s Day, which participants celebrated.
 
The conference agenda included calls for gender equality and diversity, ending gender discrimination, demands for fair wages, protection from unfair labour practices, maternity protection, collective bargaining agreements that included women workers interests, closing the gender pay gap, inclusive skills development and training programmes, leadership training for women in the union, stronger enforcement of employment equity laws, health and safety, social security and revived union organizing and solidarity. The gender dimensions of the future of work, climate change and the Just Transition, were also discussed at the conference.
 
The participants called for 50 per cent representation of women in the union structures and to provide more training opportunities for women as well a review and update current training programmes.
 
Magrett Gabanelwe, who was elected chairperson of the NUM women’s structure at the conference, said:
 

“We remain resolute and united in defending the rights of women in the union and at work. Women continue to face sexual exploitation and gender-based violence and harassment and this must end.”

 
Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa said:
 

“We urge the government of South Africa to enforce laws and integrate Convention 190 to end violence and harassment in the world of work into national laws. It is appalling that crimes against women at work and in society continue to increase sometimes with perpetrators never getting arrested.”

Africa: Trade unions strategize on economic transformation and social justice

Over 150 delegates from more than 37 African countries, plus some from Europe, attended the school themed: Employability, living wage, peace and economic transformation for social justice in Africa. Discussions, held both in-person and online, focused on the decent work agenda with an emphasis on social dialogue.
 
Trade unionists, academics and government officials made presentations on diverse issues including resource-based industrialization, sustainable energy policies, youth employment, skills development including digital skills and platform work. Youth employment was highlighted as the continent has over 60 per cent of its population under the age of 25. 

However, of the 15 million young Africans who enter the job market, annually, mostly worked in the informal economy. Debt cancellation, inclusion of labour provisions in the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement and feminist economics-that ensured women’s labour is equally remunerated-were some of the issues discussed. 
 
Speakers from the International Labour Organization (ILO) focused on Recommendation 205 (employment and decent work for peace and resilience) which addresses crises arising from conflicts and disasters. Further, they urged African trade unions to join the Global Coalition for Social Justice. 
 
Robert Beugré Mambé, the Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, said the country’s government engaged with trade unions and employers in social dialogue and this led to building trust and increased minimum wages.
 
During the march for social justice, Joel Odigie, ITUC Africa general secretary, said Africa’s debt must be cancelled.

“We call upon the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to cancel these debts and channel the funds towards the development of the continent.”

“We want a resilient, sustainable and prosperous Africa that promotes gender equality and youth employment,”

added Rose Omamo, IndustriALL vice president and ITUC-Africa deputy president.
 
Paule-France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa, said: 
 

“Transition minerals can play a part in the Just Transition to low carbon economies, but for this to happen there should be social dialogue, social protection, equitable distribution of resources and power and decent work as well as skills development.”

 
However, she said some countries with critical minerals had poor beneficiation policies which stalled using the minerals for economic development. For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt mining faced resource conflicts and Zimbabwe’s lithium mining is riddled with corruption. She further said the growth of battery manufacturing industries that promoted local supply chains is important for decent jobs creation.

Winning matters: our union wins in 2024 give us hope for the future

By Atle Høie, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary.

And when we win, it changes lives.

Looking back at 2024, our affiliates all around the world have fought and won significant battles. These victories were not handed to us; they were earned through the tireless determination of workers who refused to back down. Every single one of these wins is proof that collective action works, that solidarity is our greatest strength and that even in the hardest of times, workers can and do prevail.

Wins that shaped 2024

One of the biggest and long awaited victories of the year came from Indonesia in November, where unions successfully fought against the harsh unjust Omnibus Law. For years, this law eroded workers' rights and weakened protections but thanks to the efforts of our affiliates in Indonesia, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of labour, forcing the government to enact a new law. This is a crucial win, not just for Indonesian workers but for all of us, because when we push back against exploitation, we set a precedent for others to follow.

What is the Omnibus Law?

The Omnibus Law in Indonesia, officially called the Job Creation Law, was introduced in 2020 to attract investment by reducing regulations. However, it significantly weakened labour rights, making it easier for companies to hire and fire workers, cut severance pay and use outsourcing. It also rolled back environmental protections. Unions strongly opposed the law, leading to legal challenges and mass protests. In 2024, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled in favour of unions, forcing the government to revise the law.

In Mexico, our affiliate Los Mineros proved once again that standing together delivers results. In July after two months of persistent strike action, workers at ArcelorMittal secured better conditions and wages. This was a hard-fought battle, but it showed the power of the strike as a tool to force corporations to respect their workforce.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, unions fought for and secured a long-overdue wage increase for workers, raising the minimum wage from N30 000 ($19) to N70,000 ($43). In a country where inflation is skyrocketing, this victory ensures that workers can maintain their livelihoods and fight back against economic injustice.

And it wasn’t just about wages, it was about dignity. In Turkey, our metalworker affiliates won a landmark agreement despite record inflation. In Tunisia, textile workers secured a 20% wage increase showing that unions in the Global South continue to push forward despite immense pressure.

In the auto sector, we witnessed history being made in the United States, where Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly to join the UAW. This was a monumental victory in a region historically hostile to unions proving that the tide is turning for American workers who are reclaiming their right to organize.

In Italy, Enel workers fought off threats to job security, winning a crucial agreement to protect thousands of jobs. And in Sri Lanka, unions secured a long-awaited deal that reaffirmed workers’ rights in a rapidly changing economy.

The power of winning

These victories matter because they remind us of something fundamental: the fight is always worth it.

In times of struggle, it is easy to only see what is wrong, to focus on the crises, the setbacks and the corporate attacks on our rights. But every victory, no matter how big or small, is a step forward. Winning is not just about securing better wages or conditions; it is about proving that change is possible. It is about showing workers everywhere that they are not alone.

While we had many wins to be proud of in 2024, the fight is far from over. The challenges we face are growing, automation, corporate impunity, anti-union legislation, but so is our strength. As we look ahead, let’s carry these victories with us as proof of what we can achieve together.

To our affiliates, to the workers who stood firm on picket lines, to those who negotiated tirelessly at the bargaining table, thank you. Your fights inspire workers everywhere and your victories pave the way for a more just world.

I look forward to reporting back to you at our Congress in Sydney in November 2025, where we will celebrate the inspiring wins yet to come.

Let’s keep winning.

Critical transition minerals key to African development

Most Sub-Saharan African countries have critical minerals needed for the transition from high carbon to low carbon renewable energy sources. The critical minerals include bauxite, cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, nickel, platinum group metals and rare earth elements. Some of the critical minerals are used in improving battery performance whilst others are used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other components needed for renewable energy industries.
 
IndustriALL Global Union, its affiliated unions that organize mine workers from Botswana, Ghana and South Africa, as well as ITUC Africa, took part in the discussions in conference sessions and plenary discussions. The unions emphasized the importance of beneficiating critical transition minerals to create jobs through investments and the setting up of manufacturing industries on the continent to process raw minerals. Further, regional value chains could be developed in battery manufacturing and electric vehicles value chains, and these could be linked to global value chains. 
 
Currently, most minerals are exported in raw form which brings low value to the exporting countries. The unions cited the African Mining Vision (AMV) as an important guiding policy document which promoted unlocking the value of minerals and urged African countries to include the AMV into their national policies. Among other recommendations, the AMV calls for a “sustainable and well-governed mining sector” which promotes economic development, health and safety, “gender and ethnically inclusive, environmentally friendly, socially responsible and appreciated by surrounding communities.” The AMV is also one of the policies that can stimulate inter-African trade and regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area.
 
The unions stressed the importance of adherence to international labour standards and why the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) decent work agenda should be included in discussions on the mining of critical minerals. On health and safety, noting that fatalities in the mining sector in South Africa, for example, were declining, in artisanal and small-scale mining conditions were worsening especially in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus the calls from unions for the ratification of Convention 176 on safety and health in mines – ratified by only six African countries. 
 
Other key issues highlighted by IndustriALL and the unions included the adoption of mining standards that included multistakeholder interests like the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) audits. The audits ensured that workers and community voices and interests were respected by mining companies.
 
The unions said communities should be at the centre of the multistakeholder approach because in most instances they were the rightsholders to the land on which the mines were located. To protect community interests, the mining companies should have inclusive environmental, social, and governance policies.
 
On human rights due diligence, the unions called for the adoption of mandatory measures as voluntary initiatives were difficult to enforce. However, the trade unions said they will continue to campaign for mining companies to include United Nations Guiding Principles on business and human rights in their policies.
 
Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining said: 

“A multistakeholder approach must be adopted on critical minerals and sustainable mining standards must be upheld to protect workers rights and interests.”

 
Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said: 

“There is potential for job creation as the African continent has vast resources of critical minerals, but as trade unions we must insist on human rights’ due diligence and decent work so that workers and communities can enjoy the benefits. Governance of mineral resources is equally important to stop illicit financial flows and corruption which are taking away resources from development.”

Zambia ratifies Convention 190 to end violence and harassment at work

IndustriALL Global Union-affiliated unions in Zambia represent tens of thousands of workers across the energy, engineering, mining, cement, chemical, and manufacturing industries, where cases of workplace violence and harassment have been reported.

According to United Nations reports, one in three women and girls in Zambia have experienced physical violence, while 17 per cent have faced sexual violence. The reports attribute this to entrenched gender inequalities and patriarchal power structures, which are reinforced by social and cultural norms. These harmful practices—including domestic violence—are also prevalent in workplaces, making the fight against gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) a critical issue for unions.

To push for the ratification of C190, Zambian trade unions led national campaigns in cooperation with the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and engaged with the government through social dialogue.

Astridah Matau Phiri, director for workers’ education and training at the National Union of Commercial & Industrial Workers (NUCIW), highlighted the role of unions in securing this milestone:

“This is an important achievement for trade unions in Zambia. We relentlessly campaigned for the ratification of Convention 190. We are also grateful for the campaign toolkits developed by IndustriALL, which helped us raise awareness among workers on the importance of the convention.”

 NUCIW’s campaign efforts included workplace visits, leaflet distribution on stopping GBVH, and training shop stewards on addressing gender inequality and discrimination. The union emphasized the need to foster a workplace culture that respects workers’ rights regardless of gender identity.

IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa, Paule France Ndessomin, emphasized that ratification is just the beginning:

“The regional office urges Zambian unions to view ratification as an important first step. However, the real challenge lies in implementation. It is crucial to develop workplace policies aligned with ILO Recommendation 206 and to integrate C190 into national labour laws so that real change can take effect in the world of work.”

IndustriALL Global Union continues to support Zambian unions in their efforts to ensure the convention translates into tangible protections for workers.

IndustriALL affiliates in Zambia include:

Zambia’s ratification of Convention 190 is a step forward in the fight against workplace violence and harassment. Now, unions will shift their focus to ensuring its effective implementation and enforcement.

“Smoking them out” or legalizing artisanal mining in South Africa

The police said they are waiting to arrest the artisanal miners as soon as they surface to the ground as has happened to over 1000 miners. However, some were rescued using a rope pulley system – dehydrated and emaciated while a decomposed body was retrieved from the mine. Most of the artisanal miners are from Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and work alongside former South African mineworkers.
 
As part of Vala umgodi – Isizulu for close the holes – which targeted illegal mining, the police sealed entrances to the shaft trapping the miners who are also known as Zama-Zamas. With police presence, water and food supplies were cut off from reaching underground.
 
In response to appeals to send help to the underground miners by communities, minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshaveni said that the government will not rescue the “criminals.” She added that: “We are going to smoke them out; they will come out.”  

The statement was met with outcries from trade unions, human rights organizations, and community groups. However, a court order ruled that the government had a responsibility to protect human rights under the constitution, and to provide water and food to the miners. 
 
Mine rescue teams are now at the mine site to assist with rescue operations.
 
In a statement the Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) said: 
 
“It is disheartening that in a constitutional democracy like South Africa, atrocities of this nature persist despite the country’s painful history of violent land dispossession and racial economic exploitation under apartheid. The current impasse marked by the aggressive presence of law enforcement fails to address the root causes driving people to risk their lives in abandoned mines.” The AMI says there are over 6,000 abandoned mines in South Africa which can be mined to support livelihoods for communities.
 
Phillip Mankge, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), acting deputy general secretary said: 
 

“As NUM we would like to put it categorically clear that we don’t support the statement. In fact, it is inhumane and irresponsible of the minister to utter such words when people are trapped underground.”

According to reports, artisanal miners dig gold worth over $8 million dollars per year. This gold is sold to markets in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
 
The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict Affected and High Risk Areas is applicable to South Africa considering the violence associated with ASM, as mining companies and their agents are buying gold from artisanal miners. Research and court cases have confirmed that heavily armed gangs and illegal mining bosses act as fronts for licensed buyers at national and international levels. Several Zama Zamas have been killed in turf wars between rival gangs, there have been shootouts between police and mine security, and cases of rape have been reported against them.
 
The NUM, an IndustriALL affiliate, said policy gaps on ASM have created situations in which artisanal mining is done by criminal syndicates. 
 
Kopano Konopi, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) provincial secretary for North West, where the mine is located, said: 
 
“COSATU believes the government should relook at the country’s mining policies, because the product produced by the so-called illegal miners finds a way into the market even though it is procured from them cheaply. Government should explore issuing artisanal mining licences to small-scale miners and cooperatives.”
 

“There are models that can be adopted for ASM in South Africa including implementing existing policies by the department of mineral resources. ASM must be formalized in ways that consider the country’s socio-economic conditions of high unemployment and poverty. Mining should not be only for multinational corporations but must benefit former mineworkers and communities as well,”

said Glen Mpufane IndustriALL mining director.

He further emphasized the recommendations in the African Mining Vision which states that positive benefits can be derived from ASM including sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.
 
 

South African metalworkers on strike over job losses at ArcelorMittal

The strike started with a picket at the AMSA plant in Vanderbijlpark about 70km south of Johannesburg.
 
With the retrenchments taking place just before the Christmas holidays, NUMSA an IndustriALL affiliate, says AMSA is “demonstrating inhumanity towards workers.” The union says this is evident through its refusal to engage on finding alternatives to the job losses such as giving the workers options for voluntary severance packages and early retirement. 
 

“Only a cruel and uncaring management can toss workers out into the sea of unemployment just before Christmas and this is why they must be strongly condemned! AMSA has effectively cancelled Christmas for these employees by rushing the retrenchments, thus deepening the misery for their families as well,” 

said Kabelo Ramokhathali, NUMSA regional secretary for Sedibeng.
 
According to NUMSA, during the Section 189A consultations, the union disputed AMSA’s arguments. During the engagement which began in August the union was not convinced that job cuts were the only option. Further, the union said AMSA did not fully disclose the information that could assist with saving jobs and finding alternative work for the affected workers. Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act requires the employer to give reasons for dismissals based on operational requirements that are based on the “economic, technological, structural or similar needs of the employer.”
 
As a result of its reservations, NUMSA said it is worried about future job prospects for the retrenched workers especially under the current harsh economic conditions of high unemployment whose expanded rate, which includes discouraged job seekers is 41,9 per cent.

Additionally, the economy is stagnant with an estimated growth rate of 1.1 per cent and is characterised by poverty, inequality and a decline in manufacturing according to the African Development Bank.
 
NUMSA also says it is concerned that 200 workers will lose their benefits when transferred to other departments through low wages and the outsourcing of some of the workers core functions during the ongoing reorganization of the Flat Steel Plant. The union says AMSA did not consult NUMSA and was not transparent.
 
Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa said:

“AMSA must consider retrenchments as a last resort and further engage in dialogue with NUMSA to explore job preservation and further protect workers interests.”

Why human rights due diligence is crucial for African industrialization

The conference was held one month ahead of Africa Industrialization Day, 20 November Africa. Industrialization Week will take place from November 25 to 29 in Kampala, Uganda, themed: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Green Industrialization to Accelerate Africa’s Structural Transformation.
 
Organized by IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa region with support from United Federation of Danish Trade Union 3F, 72 participants from 18 African countries participated and 22 from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and other African countries joined online. These included participants from ILO Addis Ababa and FNV. 

Topics included whether Africa’s developmental agenda is being hampered by a resource curse, and how this curse can be cured. According to United Nations (UN) agencies and experts, Africa’s vast mineral resources fail to develop the continent due to illicit financial flows, conflict minerals, corruption, unfair trade agreements and anti-poor economic policies. Instead, poor working conditions, high unemployment, child labour, environmental degradation, poverty, and inequality continued to prevail. 

Also on the agenda: challenges facing trade unions in the changing world of work, including the rise of digital technologies and automation, limited access to reliable internet and the shift from permanent jobs to precarious working conditions. 

Speakers emphasized the need to enforce compliance with national labour laws, for multinational corporations sustain international standards for human rights due diligence in their operations, and the potential for the Ethiopian model of industrial parks to stimulate economic development on the continent. 

Unions were urged to organize actions for African Industrialization Day and human rights due diligence domestically. There was emphasis that debates were shifting towards binding due diligence laws to ensure multinational corporations’ and local enterprises’ compliance. Participants identified promoting gender-transformative due diligence and ensuring a just transition to renewable energy sources as crucial. 

The presenters were drawn from the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions, ITUC-Africa, UNDP Africa, UNECA, FES African Union office, FES Ethiopia, and labour support organizations that included the Sam Tambani Research Institute (SATRI) and the Labour and Economic Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ). Affiliates from Europe, IGBCE and ACV-CSC also participated.
 
Hod Anyingba, executive director, Africa Labour Research and Education Institute, ITUC-Africa, emphasized that industrialization created jobs, beneficiated raw materials, and increased the resilience of African economies. Other factors that needed attention were the promotion of regional economic integration, boosting human capacity, infrastructural and institutional development, and better trade facilitation.

However, to protect the economies from volatile markets, local content laws can require extractive industries to invest in domestic manufacturing and value-added processes. He cited Nigeria’s content laws in oil and gas sector which created tens of thousands of jobs.

Discussions that followed the conference resolved to develop an African trade union policy perspective on critical transition minerals, and advocate for policies that promoted local beneficiation of critical minerals.

Brendah Phiri-Mundia from regional integration and trade division at the UN Economic Commission for Africa emphasized on the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in promoting regional integration and intra-African trade. Unions’ demands for double transformation in the rules of origin in the textile and garment sector were also discussed. 

Victoria de Mello from regional service centre for Africa, UNDP, explained why it is important for trade unions to use strategies and tools that include the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other AU instruments.

National action plans (NAPs) on business and human rights were identified as important entry points for union engagement with governments, national human rights institutes, and other stakeholders at national level. 

Germany’s due diligence legislation and implications for Sub-Saharan Africa were also on the agenda. Susanne Stollreiter, FES Ethiopia representative, said the law had potential to strengthen human and workers’ rights in Africa.
 
Joel Akhator Odigie, ITUC-Africa general secretary said: 

“Trade unions must take a developmental approach when engaging on industrialization and support energy justice especially the full utilization of solar energy.”

 Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said: 

“Inclusiveness in global governance and democratic multilateralism is important for holding multinational corporations accountable for their operations and supply chains in Africa. Further, at regional level, trade unions should engage with the African Union, African Development Bank, and the AfCFTA.”