The WFTU is represented in the 11th Ordinary Congress of OATUU, which is hosted by UNTM Mali on March 3rd-4th 2017, by its President Mzwandile Michael Makwayiba, Cheikh Alassane Sene member of the WFTU Presidential Council and the General Coordinator of the WFTU Central Office Anda Anastasaki. In the Congress, 49 out of 53 countries-members of OATUU are present. At the opening ceremony were also present the President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the prime-minister and many government officials, also were present the mayor of Bamako and ILO Africa.
The WFTU President took the floor during the Congress and in his speech underlined:
“…Today, we have to protect and strengthen the unity of the African workers, against the attacks of capitalists and their right hand, the yellow trade union leaderships. The aim of the foreign interventions is to paralyze the workers’ movement in Africa in order to exploit the natural wealth of our region.
We need OATUU to be on the side of the workers, the vanguard of their struggles, the head of their coordination in our continent. We want to continue together.
…For the WFTU, dignity means respect for the right of all Africa residents to education, to medicines, to clean water, to appropriate housing. For all the above we have organized international activities and we try to mobilize our members and friends.
Moreover, dignity means that the natural resources of Africa are not plundered by the monopolies and multinationals which constantly raise their profits, but it means that this wealth is utilized for the benefit of the peoples and the ordinary persons, so that millions of Africans are not obliged to migrate in Europe and elsewhere.
For these goals we are ready to join our activities, initiatives and forces with OATUU and with all of you. Only through our common struggle will we achieve to give dignity to the workers and their families.”
