The Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), Mr. Arezki Mezhoud has highlighted a huge deficit in the area of social protection in Africa. Speaking at the 43rd session of the General Council of OATUU in Cairo, Egypt, the Secretary-General emphasised the urgent need for social protection mechanisms in Africa. According to him, unprecedented challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated the implementation of social protection policies now more than ever.
Among the numerous challenges that plague many Africans is the lack of basic necessities such as food and shelter. Mr. Mezhoud declared it shameful for Africans to struggle to afford basic commodities that are essential to everyday life. He therefore called on the various trade union centers not to relent in the fight for African development, stating that they have a great role in transforming the current situation on the African continent. He also encouraged them to pursue African development with the mindset of victors and not failure.
Mr. Mezhoud also seized the opportunity to appreciate the Egyptian government for hosting the 43rd session of the OATUU General Council. He highlighted the effort that the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) put in making the General Council Session a reality and thanked all participants for responding to OATUU’s call to meet for the Session.
