Labour leaders from across Africa have voiced a resounding call for justice, equity, and inclusion in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that the continent's flagship trade initiative must not leave workers behind.
This message emerged from a high-level regional capacity development and political engagement forum held in Nairobi, where trade union leaders, policy experts, and labour researchers gathered to discuss how trade unions could assert their role in shaping Africa's economic integration.
The event was jointly organised by the Central Organisation of Trade Unions-Kenya (COTU-K), the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), and the Labour Research Service (LRS), bringing together representatives from over ten African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Namibia, Tunisia, Chad, South Africa, and Senegal.
In his address, Anes Nadone, First Assistant Secretary General of COTU-K and Secretary General of the Kenya Liquor Trade Alliance Union, emphasised the need for workers' voices to be reflected at every stage of AfCFTA's implementation.
