IndustriALL Global union with over 100 affiliate unions and 800, 000 members – workers in Africa largely from Nigeria and South Africa joins the progressive forces world wide to strongly condemn the recent reckless violent reactionary attacks on African working people and nationals in South Africa with unacceptable resultant avoidable destruction of lives and properties. Serial xenophobic attacks had in a decade claimed several lives in South Africa . For the record, this is the third time in a decade other Africans, notably Zimbabweans, Nigerians and Pakistanis, became targets for xenophobic attacks by misguided citizens of South Africa, their host country. The attacks, which started in Pretoria West recently had spread to a few other places during which, many Nigerians were attacked in the streets with their shops and business premises looted and burnt.
These serial xenophobic attacks on innocent African workers are grossly unwarranted, condemnable and unacceptable.
However IndustriALL Global union hastens to add that the solution to these senseless xenophobic attacks is not reprisals attacks and negative radicalism but global demand for all inclusive job-led development and good governance.
IndustriALL takes a strong stand against terror. We refuse to be diverted to the road of radicalism and xenophobia. We will not be intimidated and driven into hatred. We fight terror with the strongest weapons of human dignity, development, mutual respect and tolerance.
The xenophobic attacks in South Africa are reflections of the crisis of governance in Africa as reflected by the worsening poverty and unemployment rate in the continent.
THE ANGER SHOULD BE AGAINST UNDERDEVELOPMENT, NOT THE PEOPLE
We hereby call on African students, workers and millions of jobless youths to turn their anger on bad governance, corruption and underdevelopment which had denied common wealth and jobs creations and welfare for their citizens.
IndustriALL Global union will partner to engage our governments on job creations that must start with re-industrialization of the continent and full employment of all African youths in line with the vision of the founding fathers of the Africa Union.
The recent restiveness of the African youths underscores the crisis of confidence in African governments. It is also a rude awakening for African governments to address the problems of inequality on the continent.
STOP Inequality
Africa’s richest 1 per cent come from both Nigeria and South Africa. The two countries produce top 20 billionaires. The two countries are also the biggest economies in Africa. Paradoxically both South Africa and Nigeria are miserable homes to the bottom 150 million poorest of the poor with indecent jobs, low and unpaid without social security . These are the undercurrents of xenophobia. Nigerian students must therefore channel their energies against bad governance and corruption on the continent not poor immigrants like their misguided counterparts in South Africa. IndustriALL global union insists that global inequality is a social and economic crisis. Inequality is growing within and between countries. Workers are losing wages, conditions and social protections. Increasing inequality hurts already disadvantaged groups in society the most.
Poverty rates are even higher among temporary and self-employed workers who are now victims of xenophobia. This is why IndustriALL global union resolves to continue fighting for an economic model based on rights, fairness and dignity, and supported by strong trade unions. IndustriALL global union Calls on African government ps to guarantee security of lives and property of their citizens.
Comrade Issa Aremu, mni
VICE PRESIDENT, IndustriALL Global Union
ENDORSED BY:
NIGERIAN AFFILIATE UNIONS
NUTGTWN – National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria
NUPENG – National Union of Petrolum & Natural Gas Workers
PENGASSAN – Petroleum & Natural gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria
CANMPSSAN – Chemical and Non Metalic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria
NUCFRLANMPE – National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic Products Employees
Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE)
SEWUN – Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria
SOUTH AFRICAN AFFILIATE UNIONS
SACTWU – Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union
NUMSA – National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa
NUM – National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa
CEPPWAWU – Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union of South Africa
SACWU – South African Chemical Workers’ Union
