Around 80 participants from 20 sub-Saharan African countries attended the IndustriALL Global Union’s Conference on Industrialisation in Africa, in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, to explore union strategies on sustainable industrialisation of the continent.
“Africa should boost its manufacturing, which is low, according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation,” said Issa Aremu, vice-president of IndustriALL, representing sub-Saharan Africa. “The focus should be on manufacturing and value addition that creates decent jobs.”
“We cannot talk of industrialisation and Industry 4.0 without infrastructural development. Energy policies are important and access to electricity critical,” Aremu added.
Even though there has been economic growth over the last two decades, the African continent has not seen a rise in industrialisation. Growth has been the result of expansion of domestic markets and some macroeconomic developments, favorable commodity prices, urbanisation and increasing public and private investment.
The conference stressed that the development model of low-tech extraction and export of raw materials, including minerals, oil and gas, and agricultural products was not working. African industries generate only $700 of GDP per capita, compared to $2,500 in Latin America and $3,400 in East Asia.
The conference recommended an alternative development model anchored on manufacturing, responsible mining, sustainable industrial policies, fair trade, just transition and living wages, and it should be in sync with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially on green and decent jobs.
However, IndustriALL noted that the success of an alternative model was hinged on the political will of governments and strong national institutions, reforming international finance institutions approaches to development, responsive multinational companies, sustainable environmental policies, and the essential involvement of civil society organisations and communities.
“Africans live in poorness surrounded by richness,” said IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan. “This cannot be the destiny of our African sisters and brothers. Industrialisation is the best route for change and a means to promote economic and social policies that benefit African people.”
Participants agreed that unions must have a say in shaping economic and social policies as important actors representing workers. Fair representation of young workers, education and lifelong learning, and innovation in collective bargaining are needed for changing workplaces.
The conference also recommended that unions adopt some of the recommendations of the Africa Mining Vision, which articulates what should be done for mineral resources to support sustainable industrialisation.
The participants decided to take action vis-à-vis te African Union, as part of the ongoing campaign for sustainable industrial development, and design and develop national plans and actions through IndustriALL’s national affiliates’ councils.
“Our campaign of Africa’s industrialisation is critically important for our affiliates in sub-Saharan African countries. IndustriALL Global Union will continue to support its affiliates” said Özkan.
The conference, hosted by IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates in sub-Saharan Africa, was supported by the International Labour Organisation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, national trade union centres and civil society organisations.