Our theme for this year’s commemoration, “Striving for Peace and Stability to Drive Industrialisation, Trade, and Decent Work for Social Justice,” speaks directly to the soul of our collective mission. It reminds us that industrialisation and trade are empty pursuits without peace and stability. Economic growth, unmoored from decent work and social justice, is neither sustainable nor just. The future of our continent rests on our ability to reimagine development from the people’s perspective, not the crass and desperate accumulation of profits.

Africa stands today at a critical juncture. The shadows of violent conflict continue to fall across many of our regions—Sudan, South Sudan, the Sahel region, Eastern Congo, the Horn of Africa —causing unimaginable suffering and destroying and obstructing livelihoods and the paths of opportunity. We cannot speak of progress while bombs fall and guns roar. The African labour movement raises its voice unequivocally: we need peace, not as an afterthought, but as the precondition for any meaningful development. We call for an immediate end to all violent aggression. We demand inclusive peace processes that prioritise dialogue, human dignity and justice. We stand in solidarity with all those affected by conflict and repression.

Decades of extractive economic models and externally imposed structural adjustment policies have devastated Africa’s industrial potential, turning promising industries into deserts of unemployment and informality. Reviving and reimagining industrialisation must now be an urgent political, economic, and moral priority. We must transition from economies built on raw extraction and external dependency to those that generate value, distribute wealth equitably, and protect workers and the planet. Industrialisation must be inclusive, sustainable, and anchored in labour rights. It must create decent work, not deepen exploitation. We call on our governments to consider industrialisation through cottage industries and support small- and medium-scale enterprises as we reimagine how to achieve manufacturing possibilities.

To pursue industrialisation, Africa must consciously, systematically, and consistently make efforts to secure energy production, transmission and distribution. We have seen the devastation of privatised energy, which has worsened poverty and slowed our industrialisation efforts. Therefore, we must devise collaborative arrangements to pursue public pathways for our energy needs. We caution and advise that Africa must devise formidable counteractions against the blackmail and subterfuge of the mercenaries of the neoliberal orthodoxy around public pathways to energy sufficiency.

Similarly, the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) must not bypass the workers who make trade possible. Africa must trade more and better with itself to leverage the different comparative advantages available to the various economies. Africa must take steps to develop trade facilitation—skills development, social protection provisions, rights at work, infrastructure development (rails, roads, maritime, and aviation), easy payment systems, predictable and friendly tariffs, ease of mobility, and trust. However, ITUC-Africa cautions that trade must not become a race to the bottom. It must be built on strong labour protections, social safeguards, and inclusive dialogue. Yet, workers’ voices remain marginalised in AfCFTA processes. This must change. Trade unions must be recognised as legitimate partners in shaping trade that works for all.

The future of work is also changing rapidly. The rise of the digital economy, climate-induced transitions, and the automation of industries are reshaping how, where, and under what conditions people work. Without a deliberate and inclusive Just Transition, these shifts will further entrench inequality and displace millions. We must ensure that workers in traditional industries, the informal economy, and the digital space are not abandoned in this transformation. We must organise and represent them effectively through inclusive collective bargaining processes and outcomes. We repeat our calls to our members, ORGANISE, MOBILISE AND TAKE ACTIONS for change NOW!

As we mark this Labour Day, ITUC-Africa calls on all its affiliates, trade unions, and progressive forces to:
 Call for a broad national and continental peace and security architecture rooted in human welfare and well-being;
 Demand that African governments end all violent aggression everywhere and that dialogue and negotiated outcomes are respected, whilst showing solidarity and support to countries, communities and peoples affected by ongoing conflicts on the continent;
 Advocate for national industrialisation policies that prioritise job creation, fair wages, and social protection;
 Ensure that trade agreements, particularly AfCFTA, integrate strong labour rights protections and decent work provisions;
 Strengthen labour movements to organise informal, gig, and platform economy workers, ensuring they are not excluded from Africa’s industrial transformation;
 Promote sustainable industrialisation that aligns with climate justice, fair wages, and workers’ rights;
 Demand a public pathway to energy justice, financing for Africa’s adaptation and mitigation aspirations and needs, and advocacy for a Just Transition that safeguards workers in industries undergoing automation and climate adaptation.

The task before us is immense, but so is our resolve. The fate of our continent cannot be left to chance or the whims of unaccountable elites. It must be shaped by the will of the people and the power of organised labour. Let this May Day be a renewed rallying point—a moment to recommit to the struggle for a peaceful, prosperous, and just Africa. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder to demand that industrialisation serves the people, that trade uplifts communities, and that work becomes a pathway to dignity, not poverty.

Long live African workers.
Long live international solidarity.
Forward ever in the struggle for peace, justice, and decent work.

Akhator Joel Odigie
General Secretary
African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa)
Lomé, Togo – May 1st, 2025