Organisation of African Trade Union Unity marks Golden Jubilee
The Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) has marked its 50th anniversary with a call on trade unions to focus on the future of work and address the specific needs of workers on the continent as the world advances in technology in order for them not to lose their places as technology advances.
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The president of OATUU, Francis Atwoli, noted that with the advancement in technology, it was important for the capacity of workers to be built more in that direction to ensure that technology was rather used to advance their work and to push for the progress of the continent.
For this reason, he said, OATUU had relentlessly been championing the expectations and aspirations of millions of African workers for the unified efforts to achieve trade union unity, workers’ and trade union rights and socio-economic rights, progress and prosperity of the continent.
Millions of trade union members and workers, he disclosed, had benefited from OATUU’s workers education workshops, conferences, training courses in various areas all geared towards making workers more productive.
OATUU
The organisation was founded in April, 1973 as a successor to two previously competing labour union organisations in Africa - the All-African Trade Union Federation (AATUF) and the African Trade Union Confederation (ATUC).
The driving factors for the unification of these two bodies and the creation of the OATUU was to advance Pan-Africanism, economic justice and social justice in African workplaces.
OATUU currently has a total membership of over 50 million from 73 trade-union organisations from all 55 African countries.
Golden Jubilee
The golden jubilee celebration started yesterday, (April 13) with a conference on the theme: ‘Review of the African Trade Union Movement Contribution to the attainment of workers and human rights in the context of the ILO decent work agenda and future of work.’
The slogan for this year's conference, which attracted participants across the continent, is “Hands of Africa". People of Africa, Unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains.
You have a continent to regain. You have freedom, human dignity to attain”.
Significance of OATUU
Mr Atwoli said one of the objectives of OATUU had been to help liberate the continent from poverty, oppression and suppression of people’s right.
“One of the most significant factors in the liberation of Africa was the growth and development of the trade unions.
In fact, the African trade unions were influential in the liberation of many African countries”, he indicated.
The president noted that OATUU had been able to make positive impact and contributed to the political, social and economic spheres for the past five decades due to unity of purpose among member trade unions and therefore must continue.
He asserted that OATUU would remain a strong voice for African workers for the realisation of social and economic justice for all.
For the past five decades, OATUU he intimated, had also maintained cordial working relationships and engagements with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the African Union (AU) in advancing the rights and interest of African workers.
Skilled labour
The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, while congratulating OATUU for staying the course in these 50 years, also expressed happiness over the choice to have Ghana host the 50th anniversary of the organisation.
He gave an assurance that government would continue to work together with the Trade Union to promote peace and development.
He intimated that government, in its effort to ensure that labour in the country was skillful to remain relevant in the field of work, had been working towards quality education.
Government and organised labour in the country had maintained a cordial relationship in spite of strong disagreements because the government had shown commitment over the years in respecting the rights of workers in the country.
The president, the minister said, considered labour as a major partner for development and thus, on some occasions had personally intervened in many labour cases to promote peace between labour and government.
The future
The Secretary-General of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah said, “The fact that trade union leaders were able to come together 50 years ago to found OATUU is enough reason for celebration”.
He said it was important for members to take stock and also strategise for the future, stressing that “what we do today as trade union leaders will influence the outcome 50 years from today and beyond”.