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Trade union organising
Support the membership, mobilisation and involvement of young workers in trade union organisations.
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Our work
Youth, organising and empowerment
ITUC-Africa places young workers at the heart of its work to strengthen organising, representation, leadership, decent work and social transformation in Africa.
Youth Work
Organising and empowering young workers
Youth represents a major share of Africa’s population. The trade union challenge is to turn this strength into participation, leadership and collective action.
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Overview
A trade union priority for the continent’s future
ITUC-Africa’s youth work aims to strengthen the place of young workers in trade unions and decision-making processes. It focuses on organising, training, participation and leadership.
This work responds to challenges faced by young people in Africa: unemployment, precarious work, skills mismatch, limited access to social protection and weak representation in trade union structures.
Priorities
Strengthening young workers’ participation
Youth work connects trade union organising, empowerment, training and representation with the continent’s major social and economic challenges.
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Empowerment
Give young people the tools they need to defend their rights, speak up and act collectively.
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Youth leadership
Promote the presence of young people in trade union bodies, committees and decision-making spaces.
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Decent work
Defend young people’s access to decent jobs, fair wages, social protection and rights at work.
Issues
Social and economic challenges for young workers
Young people are affected by major transformations in labour markets, skills, continental trade, migration, democracy and the future of work.
Employability
Act on youth unemployment and the difficulties of accessing stable, productive and decent jobs.
Skills
Reduce the mismatch between education, available skills and the real needs of African labour markets.
AfCFTA, women and youth
Analyse the effects of the African Continental Free Trade Area on young people, women and informal economy workers.
Democracy and rights
Strengthen young people’s participation in struggles for human rights, trade union rights, peace and democracy.
Youth Committee
A committee to carry young workers’ voice
The ITUC-Africa Youth Committee contributes to defining priorities and action plans to strengthen young workers’ participation at national and regional levels.
Action plans
Define broad orientations, priorities and actions to organise young workers.
Regional participation
Connect young trade unionists from different African countries and strengthen their coordination.
Trade union renewal
Increase young people’s representation in unions and support the renewal of the trade union movement.
NYS
New Year School: training, reflection and strategy
The New Year School, launched in 2011, is a platform for reflection and training on major social, economic and political issues affecting Africa and workers.
A tradition since 2011
The New Year School brings together trade union leaders, researchers, educators, women and youth in trade union leadership around continental issues.
Capacity development
Sessions address employability, living wages, economic transformation, just transition, debt, peace and rights.
Dialogue and learning
Exchanges take the form of lectures, panels, thematic groups and strategic discussions among trade union actors and partners.
Youth publications
Latest youth news and resources
No youth publication is available yet.
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