IndustriALL Global Union, IGU, through its Africa’s Vice President, Issa Aremu, has called for reindustrialisation in Africa, urging governments and trade unions to collaborate and intensify campaigns for sustainable industrial policies for the continent to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on jobs and investment.
Contributing to the discussions on the Union’s political statement in the wake of the pandemic, Aremu agreed with the view that “decades of de-industrialisation and reliance on global networks of production and trade have depleted the capacity of Africa to produce or commandeer, at short notice, essential goods; from food to personal protective equipment — even basic pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
He commended IndustriALL Global Union for condemning institutional racism, xenophobia and insurgent fascism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in USA and also called for intensified workers’ literacy on occupational health and safety. “An unseen killer, COVID-19, might cause more harms in workplaces without massive health and safety awareness.”
“We must stand together, as the majority of the 3.3 billion workers worldwide are worried about their existence and future.”The International Labour Organisation, ILO, is predicting that by July this year, 300 million formal jobs will have been lost, even more in the informal economy.