Increasing workers' influence over the African Continental Free Trade Agreement

Report type

Research and reports

Issue date

01 Jul 2023

Project summary

2024 - 2025
Budget

Year 1: £21,085.50

Year 2: £29,026.06

Funded by TUC Aid, Trade Union Unit Trust Charitable Trust, NASUWT, and the Hayward-Seers family in memory of Toby Hayward-Seers

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCfTA) is an agreement which is focussed on reducing the tariffs countries are allowed to place on other countries’ goods which could undermine domestic industries and good jobs.

The main agreement was signed in 2018 between 22 African states but talks continue on side agreements.

There is scope for unions to influence talks on these side agreements and monitor the implementation of the agreement. In some countries such as Rwanda, official bodies have already been established for this purpose.

Yet, many trade union centres in Africa lack the capacity to influence trade negotiations or flag concerns about the implementation of the agreement with politicians.

This project will support trade unions in Cameroon to run training for trade unionists on influencing trade talks to promote decent work, oversee the implementation of the agreement, and flag any harmful effects on workers.

The project is being delivered by ITUC-Africa and its four affiliates, Confédération des Syndicats Autonomes du Cameroun (CSAC), Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Cameroun (CSTC), Unions des Syndicats Libres du Cameroun (USLC) and Confederation des Services Publics (CSP).

This project is part of a wider ITUC Africa project involving nine other African countries, which is funded by the Finnish trade union centre SASK.

Project activities include

Year 1

Online baseline survey of Cameroonian trade union centres’ capacity to influence trade negotiations.
Training run for 25 trade union representatives from Cameroon’s trade unions on influencing AfCFTA talks and how to highlight concerns about its implementation. Women and young people will be particularly prioritised for this training.
Trade unions in Cameroon develop, launch and sustain their advocacy campaigns.
Strengthened alliances and joint statements developed between trade unions in Cameroon with other civil society allies on AfCFTA
Meetings between Cameroonian trade unions and government, African Union and AfCFTA secretariat representatives.
Trade unions monitor and evaluate the implementation of the AfCFTA.

Year 2

Trade unions in Cameroon sustain their advocacy campaigns
Joint statements developed between trade unions in Cameroon and with other civil society allies on AfCFTA
Meetings between Cameroonian trade unions and government, African Union and AfCFTA secretariat representatives.
Trade unions monitor and evaluate the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Online regional meeting of African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (OSTAC) to coordinate lobbying on AfCFTA negotiations and implementation.
Trade unions from Cameroon participate in the final SASK-ITUC-Africa project conference bringing together all countries participating in the project with representatives from their governments and possibly the AfCFTA Secretariat

Expected project outcomes

Increase capacity of trade unions in Cameroon to influence the negotiation of protocols of the AfCFTA so that they contain protections for workers' rights, public services and domestic industries
Increase capacity of trade unions in Cameroon to be lobby for effective involvement in bodies to oversee the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Develop more collaboration between trade unions across Central Africa to lobby for trade union objectives.
Develop more continental collaboration between unions in Africa to lobby for trade union objectives.
Strengthen alliances with like-minded civil society organisations.

Progress report January - March 2024

Meeting of the leadership of the four national trade union centres to discuss successful project implementation
Collaboration between ITUC Africa and the national coordination team to prepare for the national capacity building workshop in April – at this workshop trade union officers will be trained in ways to influence trade talks

Progress report March - June 2024

A two-day national capacity building workshop on the AfCFTA was organised from April 9 -10, in Yaoundé, Cameroon for unions to build their capacity to influence the protocols being negotiated for AfCFTA and be involved in monitoring groups for the agreement
In total, 30 unionists in Cameroon from both public and private sectors attended the workshop
At the end of the workshop the unions attended resolved to continue to work together to influence the AfCFTA talks and encourage their union officers and members to be involved in this work.

Progress report December 2024

The CSAC, CSTC, USLC and CSP union centres have continued their advocacy for trade unions to be involved in the National Implementation Committees monitoring of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and prevent the agreement undermining good jobs, workers’ rights and public services
The unions have written to the government in Cameroon to request for unions to be involved in the National Implementation Committees monitoring of the implementation of the AfCFTA and are pushing for meetings with ministers to discuss this request
The unions held a round table discussion with unions on the importance of workers’ involvement in the AfCFTA implementation on the World Day for Decent Work
The unions are running adverts on radio, social media and on TV which has been effective in raising awareness amongst the wider public about the need for workers to be involved in the implementation of the agreement the promote good jobs, workers’ rights and protections for public services.

The video below was made during the workshop.