The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general, Francis Atwoli, on Thursday, October 20, delivered an influential speech in Cairo, Egypt, while rallying for the protection of African workers.
Atwoli, who is also the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) President, lobbied workers' representatives to institutionalise universal social protection, which he stated was key to realising human rights.
He argued that workers needed to be treated fairly and enjoy equal distribution of resources, opportunities and privileges.
"We call upon all African countries to institutionalise universal social protection for realising human rights for social security for all the approach for a human-centred approach to obtaining social justice," Atwoli stated
"This can only be possible when we, member countries, have a professional technical team to assist and build a capacity to face our various governments," he added.
Atwoli's sentiments were echoed by the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) General Secretary Pambis Kyritsis, who lamented that African workers were still struggling with hunger and other social issues.
He also highlighted the issue of workers who were being exploited in different nations.
"The cooperation of our organizations is based on principles, and aims to create the conditions for a better world, free of political, economic and social inequalities, free of exploitation and injustice," Pambis stated.
"Policies that approach the issue of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment in Africa as issue of charity, essentially aims to reproduce the existing relations of economic and political dependence and the incredibly provocative economic and social inequalities," he further stated.
Their arguments came after a series of complaints from Kenyan workers working in different Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Atwoli had earlier reached out to the Kenyan government to vet agencies sending workers to Saudi Arabia. He asked President William Ruto to embargo agents who failed to protect workers' rights abroad.
"I am appealing to our government, let us ban all employment agencies. What these people are trying to do with our young daughters and sons equals indirect slavery," he stated.
He, however, expressed confidence that Ruto's government was working to fix employment and working structures in the country.
"Let us remain here as poor as we are, we have a new government that is now struggling to refurbish our economy, the economy will grow after appointment of ministers having been vetted and we will be able to access jobs in this country," Atwoli appealed to workers.
