The Africa Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called for climate justice, decent jobs and stronger social protection for workers at COP31.


The organisation made the demand in a statement signed by its general secretary, Joel Odigie, and issued on Tuesday.


Mr Odigie said climate action must promote social justice alongside environmental sustainability, insisting that workers must remain central to decisions on Africa’s energy transition.


“For African trade unions, climate action must advance social justice alongside environmental sustainability. We call for a just transition centred on decent work, social protection, workers’ participation, gender equity and investment in green jobs.


“The livelihoods and rights of workers and communities must remain at the heart of climate policies, rather than treating workers as secondary considerations,” he said.


He said ITUC-Africa, which represents about 18 million workers across 52 African countries, urged governments to guarantee universal, affordable and reliable energy access through accountable public utilities.


Mr Odigie called for increased climate financing, debt relief and adequate Loss and Damage funding to support African countries. He insisted that developed countries must provide new, additional and predictable climate resources, principally through grants.


According to him, climate financing must not increase Africa’s debt burden or undermine investments in energy, public services, adaptation and social protection. He also called for stronger implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Just Transition Work Programme.


He said the International Labour Organisation’s Just Transition Guidelines should serve as its central reference.


Mr Odigie urged governments, employers and trade unions to embrace tripartite social dialogue to guarantee workers’ participation in designing and implementing climate policies.


Mr Odigie demanded employment-impact assessments, reskilling, redeployment, income guarantees, occupational safety and universal social protection. He said these measures were particularly necessary for workers affected by industrial restructuring and closures.


The ITUC-Africa general secretary also urged African governments to promote green industrialisation through local mineral processing, technology transfer and component manufacturing. He called for investments in higher-value green supply chains to strengthen domestic manufacturing and create decent jobs.


Mr Odigie said renewable energy and critical-mineral investments must protect workers and communities while delivering sustainable employment opportunities. He further demanded formal trade union representation in national energy planning, tariff regulation, climate-finance governance, just-transition commissions and COP delegations.


He called for a structured labour engagement mechanism with the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to strengthen workers’ participation in continental climate decisions.


Mr Odigie urged governments and energy-transition partners to translate the demands into funded, time-bound commitments at COP31.


He insisted that Africa’s energy transition must be shaped with workers and communities rather than imposed upon them.

(NAN)