The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), has blamed globalisation, glut in unemployment market and greed of capitalists for the absence of decent job on the African continent.

The Vice President of WFTU, Mr Leke Success, made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja at the 3rd Pan-African Conference.

He said that WFTU would work with labour centres across the world to set the minimum standards for minimum wage especially for public sector workers whose rights to collective bargaining are limited.

He said that agitations for self-determination are direct result of political succession crisis due to compromised or rigged national elections.

Leke decried the determination of elected political leaders to remain in office even after rejection at the polls.

He also decried the absence of periodic elections (a prerequisite for democracy), and arbitrary change of constitutional provisions by African leaders to entrench themselves in power or enthrone their cronies.

The Vice President decried lack of food security in most African countries which he attributed to non-implementation of policies that would boost food production or outright stealing of resources by political leaders.

Leke said: “It is therefore expedient for international labour organisations including WFTU to beam its searchlight on investments and property of national leaders across the continent that will make them accountable to their people.

“This to some extent, will limit their insatiable lust to embezzle money.

“African countries must invest and evolve new strategies that will make agriculture attractive to youths.

“They must invest heavily in power generation and distribution.

“Africa is blessed with all year sunshine which we can tap to mitigate the continued lack of electricity.

“All this will power our local industries especially the small scale enterprises.’’

In his remarks, WFTU Secretary-General Mr George Mavrikos, called for reduction in working hours to create more job opportunities and create gainful employment for more people.

He decried the increasing rate of unemployment ravaging most parts of the world.

Mavrikos said that WFTU had made far reaching recommendations to the United Nations on how to tackle the worsening unemployment.

“We made suggestions to the United Nations on how to mitigate job losses across the world.

“The problem of unemployment has become a contemporary challenge to the world.

“WFTU believes there is the need to reduce the working hours to enable more people to enter the employment population.

“We also believe there is need for governments as well as organisations to make huge investment to create jobs massively, ”he said

The WFTU scribe called for reduction in age requirement for pension beneficiaries.

He said that in most countries of the world, workers have to attain the age of 60 years and 70 years to receive pension.

“We think that there is urgent need to reduce this age bracket.

“At the same time we need to support workers to belong to associations that can work for their wellbeing, ” he said.

He said that global union was working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to put in place policies that would improve the conditions of working people around the world.

In his address, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Ayuba Wabba, expressed concern that the various mineral resources that abound in Africa had not been utilised for the betterment of the people.

“From gold in South Africa to crude oil in Nigeria and diamond in Liberia, all these resources have not been explore to better the living conditions of the African people.

“We need to work together as a movement to reverse these curses.

“We must work together to challenge the inequality that is widening everyday between the rich and the poor,” Wabba said.

(Source: NAN)