Background and Rationale
Across the world, women, youth and vulnerable workers – whether in the informal economy, platform work, casual and temporary employment or in formal workplaces where no union structures exist – face growing insecurity. These workers endure low wages, unfair contracts, workplace discrimination and a lack of social protection. Without collective representation they remain isolated, exploited and unheard.
Women, in particular, shoulder a double burden of workplace exploitation and gender inequality. Young workers are increasingly trapped in precarious arrangements – including gig economy jobs (platform workers, logistics etc), zero hour contracts and unpaid internships – or are employed in formal enterprises that deliberately keep unions out. Meanwhile, formal sector employees in both public services and private companies often find themselves without a voice because no recognised bargaining unit exists in their workplace.
Climate change intensifies these vulnerabilities, especially in agriculture, construction and platform based jobs, where heat stress, pollution and extreme weather threaten livelihoods. As employers evade responsibility, it becomes more urgent for all workers – informal and formal alike – to organise and build collective power. Yet many still perceive trade unions as distant, male dominated or ineffective in addressing their needs.
The world of work is undergoing profound change. To remain relevant and powerful, trade unions must consciously extend their organising reach to workers at the margins and to those within formal establishments who are currently unorganised. These workers are not passive beneficiaries; they are agents of transformation. The time is ripe for unions to reignite the spirit of organising and actively build inclusive, representative and militant movements.
To this end, ITUC Africa is launching an innovative digital organising campaign titled “The Union Lifted Me Up – Together, We Rise” to:
• Mobilise and organise workers in precarious, informal and non traditional employment as well as formal sector employees who lack union representation in both public and private sectors;
• Inspire collective action by showcasing worker led organising stories and victories;
• Reposition trade unions as organising spaces that empower and protect; and
• Build workers’ power from the ground up through digital mobilisation tools.

Purpose of the Assignment
This assignment seeks to produce and disseminate a digital organising campaign centred on the lived experiences and organising journeys of women, youth, vulnerable workers and formal sector employees without union voice. The campaign will employ real or re enacted worker stories to demonstrate the transformative power of joining, building and leading unions.
The videos will not merely raise awareness; they will function as organising tools – inviting viewers to act, to join and to lead. The ultimate purpose is to recruit, activate and connect workers to organising structures using digital platforms as mobilising terrain.

Objectives
The campaign’s core objectives are to:
1. Organise the Unorganised – Bring marginalised informal economy workers and un represented formal sector employees in the public and private sectors into union organising spaces – starting digitally and culminating in real membership and collective action;
2. Build Union Power through Collective Action – Demonstrate how organised workers have secured concrete improvements in pay, dignity, safety and recognition;
3. Inspire Worker Led Leadership and Self Organisation – Highlight women and youth who step forward to organise peers in both informal settings and formal workplaces lacking representation;
4. Shift Perceptions of Trade Unions – Redefine unions as inclusive organising platforms, equally responsive to workers in factories, offices, public institutions and the informal economy; and
5. Mobilise Digital Platforms for Organising – Use digital media, QR codes, helplines and call to action tools to build online to offline organising pipelines.

Target Audience
The campaign is designed to appeal to women, youth and marginalised workers across sectors, including those not traditionally reached by trade unions and formal sector staff who currently have no recognised bargaining unit. Key target groups include:
• Women Workers – Domestic and care workers, garment workers, home based workers, agricultural labourers, waste pickers, cleaners and women in formal enterprises without union coverage;
• Young Workers – Graduates and non graduates in gig work, freelancing, unpaid internships or low wage service jobs, as well as young employees in union free factories, offices and service companies;
• Platform Workers – Delivery riders, ride hailing drivers, digital freelancers, e commerce staff and app based service providers;
• Casual & Temporary Workers – Factory hands, construction labourers, seasonal farm workers, hospitality staff and event workers;
• Formal Sector Employees without Union Representation – Teachers in private schools, bank clerks, retail staff, call centre agents, security guards, healthcare assistants, civil service contract staff and others in public and private entities where no union is present;
• Manufacturing Workers – Assembly line workers, employees in garments and fast moving consumer goods industries;
• Agricultural Workers – Small scale farmers, plantation labourers and fisherfolk facing climate driven job losses; and
• Service Workers – Retail employees, hospitality staff, cleaners and security personnel, whether in formal or informal settings.

Scope of Work
The selected production team/consultant is expected to carry out the following activities:

Campaign Conceptualisation and Story Design
• Co-create a compelling video script and visual storyline based on the organising theme.
• Develop 3–4 worker storylines with strong organising journeys (e.g., from isolation to union leadership).
• Integrate messages around union building, collective power, worker voice, and leadership by women and youth.
• Ensure character representation includes informal workers, platform workers, and low-wage workers across sectors.

Video Production and Editing
• Film high-quality short videos (2–3 minutes each) in real or simulated community/work settings.
• Capture emotional and inspiring scenes of workers organising – —e.g., meetings, protests, negotiations, and victories.
• Include direct appeals and calls-to-action, such as: “Join your union”, “Let union power rise”, or “Organise now!”
• Produce shorter video cuts (15–30 seconds) tailored for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Messaging and Visual Identity
• Frame unions as spaces of empowerment through organising.
• Use bold, urgent and emotionally resonant messaging to connect workers’ pain to the power of solidarity.
• Showcase organising in action – —community meetings, recruiting peers, confronting employers, celebrating wins.
• Maintain visual consistency in logos, slogans, colours, and fonts.

Digital Dissemination and Mobilisation Support
• Recommend dissemination tools that double as organising mechanisms (e.g., WhatsApp groups, Telegram lists, QR sign-up codes, contact hotlines).
• Suggest influencer collaborations, digital townhalls, and activist amplification strategies.
• Include hashtags such as:
#OrganiseToRise, #UnionPower, #TheUnionLiftedMeUp, #WorkersUnite, #OrganisingWorks

NB: These videos will be produced in 18 African Laguages including English, French and Portuguese.

1. English – Widely spoken across Sub-Saharan Africa, notably in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
2. French – Predominantly used in West and Central Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Benin, Chad, and Togo.
3. Portuguese – Common in Lusophone African countries, primarily Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
4. Swahili – Spoken widely in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and parts of Mozambique).
5. Arabic – Dominantly spoken in North Africa and the Horn region (Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Tuhttps://www.ituc-africa.org/ecrire/?exec=article_edit&id_article=2376#nisia, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, and Djibouti).
6. Hausa – Predominantly spoken in West Africa, notably in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, and Cameroon.
7. Yoruba – Widely spoken in Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo.
8. Igbo – Mainly spoken in Nigeria.
9. Amharic – The primary language spoken in Ethiopia.
10. Zulu – Prominent in South Africa, also understood in neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini.
11. Xhosa – Widely spoken in South Africa, especially in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.
12. Somali – Spoken predominantly in Somalia, as well as parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti.
13. Oromo – Primarily spoken in Ethiopia and parts of Kenya.
14. Fulfulde (Fula/Fulani) – Spoken across West and Central Africa, notably in Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, and Niger.
15. Twi (Akan) – Extensively spoken in Ghana, widely understood in Côte d’Ivoire and among the Ghanaian diaspora across Africa.
16. Shona – Predominantly spoken in Zimbabwe, and also understood in parts of Mozambique and Zambia.
17. Lingala – Widely spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, with significant usage in Central African Republic.
18. Wolof – Primarily spoken in Senegal, with substantial presence in The Gambia and Mauritania.
19. Luganda – Luganda, the indigenous language of the Baganda people, is the most widely spoken indigenous language.
20. Nyanja/Chichewa – Spoken extensively in Malawi and Zambia
21. Kinyarwanda/Kirundi – Widely spoken in Rwanda and Burundi, respectively, with mutual intelligibility between the two languages.

Deliverables

Required Qualifications and Competencies
The ideal service provider(s) must demonstrate:
• Deep understanding of trade union organising and worker mobilisation (required).
• Proven track record in activist media, storytelling for movement building, or labour communications.
• High-level technical expertise in video production, editing, sound, and graphics.
• Experience working with grassroots communities and marginalised groups.
• Ability to deliver both emotionally powerful and practically effective organising content.
• Familiarity with gender-transformative approaches and climate-labour intersections.

Timeline and Duration
• Start Date: May 20, 2024
• Duration: Six (6) weeks
• Filming Locations: Selected African countries and/or contexts reflective of campaign themes (to be determined in consultation with ITUC-Africa).

Oversight and Management
This educational product will be overseen by the Executive Director of ITUC-Africa.

Budget and Payment Terms
Applicants should submit a realistic, itemised budget covering:
• Scripting and conceptualisation
• Filming, editing and subtitling
• Equipment and production costs
• Travel and logistics (if applicable)
• Dissemination toolkit preparation

Payment Schedule
1. 30% upon signing of contract and submission of inception report
2. 40% upon approval of edited videos
3. 30% upon delivery of final outputs and campaign toolkit

Application Procedure
Interested consultants or creative teams must submit:
• A technical proposal outlining understanding of organising campaigns, methodology, timelines and sample script
• Portfolio or links to at least 3 relevant videos or digital mobilisation campaigns
• CVs of key personnel involved
• Detailed budget proposal

Deadline for submission: May 12, 2025
Send applications to: Send Tehcnical and Financial proposlas to hod.anyigba@ituc-africa.org
Subject line: “APPLICATION: Video Campaign – Organising for Worker Power”

Ethical and Political Commitments
This campaign must adhere to the highest ethical standards. All footage must be obtained with informed consent, respect for dignity, and full privacy of participants. The campaign must affirm the fundamental right of all workers to organise and bargain collectively. The tone must be bold, hopeful, and rooted in working-class struggle – not charity, pity, or victimhood.