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10 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 58/2001
The success of Africa's economic renaissance will depend on its ability to convert the continent's raw materials into value-added goods both for domestic and international consumption.
That was the main conclusion drawn by African labour leaders meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, last week. They were taking part in the African Regional Executive Committee of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The ICEM African unions emphasised the importance of "sustainable programmes around the development of our human resources, sharing of skills between our countries, promoting better trade relations, securing dignified labour standards, strengthening friendship and solidarity exchanges and mutual assistance in the development of our continent.
"In this context, the role of trade unions is vital," they noted. "To this end, the ICEM Africa Region has adopted a five-year programme of action to achieve these noble goals."
ICEM African Regional President Senzeni Zokwana made a strong plea for workers in Africa to unite, organise and strengthen worker-to-worker solidarity in order to bring about peace, democracy and economic development.
Zokwana, who is President of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said that the consensus reached by African governments on the New African initiative presents an historic opportunity for the people of Africa, as a whole, to end the scourge of the scourge of poverty, civil conflict and underdevelopment.
"The resources and skill needed to launch a war on this front exist in abundance," he noted. "What is now needed is the political will and commitment to include all sectors of the population in the reconstruction and development programmes of the continent. This process must inevitably involve the full participation of the trade unions and other progressive mass movements on the continent. This is a struggle too important to be left to governments alone."
He urged trade unions to be vigilant and to bring their organisational skills to bear on this process. Only a strong, vibrant, united and well-organised trade union movement in Africa could contribute effectively and qualitatively to the movement for change currently taking root on the African continent.
"The daily struggles of workers, for decent work, a living wage and improved quality of life for their families must be seen in the light of the broader struggle against poverty, resulting from corporate globalisation and the plundering of Africa's wealth," said Zokwana. "The tragedy of our times has been that whilst Africa is richly endowed with natural resources, the beneficiaries have been outsiders, notably those from the rich North. Africa must no longer remain a producer and exporter of raw materials to the North.
"In most instances, mining interests of the North fuel the conflicts we see in Africa today," Zokwana added. "There is clear evidence that the wars in the Great Lakes Area, Sierra Leone and Angola are aided and abetted by the multinational mining corporations seeking to exploit us, without regard to the sanctity of life of native Africans. The international community is aware of the dynamics of these conflicts but has chosen to look the other way as Africa bleeds. This must end."
That was the main conclusion drawn by African labour leaders meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, last week. They were taking part in the African Regional Executive Committee of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The ICEM African unions emphasised the importance of "sustainable programmes around the development of our human resources, sharing of skills between our countries, promoting better trade relations, securing dignified labour standards, strengthening friendship and solidarity exchanges and mutual assistance in the development of our continent.
"In this context, the role of trade unions is vital," they noted. "To this end, the ICEM Africa Region has adopted a five-year programme of action to achieve these noble goals."
ICEM African Regional President Senzeni Zokwana made a strong plea for workers in Africa to unite, organise and strengthen worker-to-worker solidarity in order to bring about peace, democracy and economic development.
Zokwana, who is President of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said that the consensus reached by African governments on the New African initiative presents an historic opportunity for the people of Africa, as a whole, to end the scourge of the scourge of poverty, civil conflict and underdevelopment.
"The resources and skill needed to launch a war on this front exist in abundance," he noted. "What is now needed is the political will and commitment to include all sectors of the population in the reconstruction and development programmes of the continent. This process must inevitably involve the full participation of the trade unions and other progressive mass movements on the continent. This is a struggle too important to be left to governments alone."
He urged trade unions to be vigilant and to bring their organisational skills to bear on this process. Only a strong, vibrant, united and well-organised trade union movement in Africa could contribute effectively and qualitatively to the movement for change currently taking root on the African continent.
"The daily struggles of workers, for decent work, a living wage and improved quality of life for their families must be seen in the light of the broader struggle against poverty, resulting from corporate globalisation and the plundering of Africa's wealth," said Zokwana. "The tragedy of our times has been that whilst Africa is richly endowed with natural resources, the beneficiaries have been outsiders, notably those from the rich North. Africa must no longer remain a producer and exporter of raw materials to the North.
"In most instances, mining interests of the North fuel the conflicts we see in Africa today," Zokwana added. "There is clear evidence that the wars in the Great Lakes Area, Sierra Leone and Angola are aided and abetted by the multinational mining corporations seeking to exploit us, without regard to the sanctity of life of native Africans. The international community is aware of the dynamics of these conflicts but has chosen to look the other way as Africa bleeds. This must end."