Organised labour across the continent has warned that Africa is being held to ransom by artificial impoverishment driven by corruption, illicit financial flows, and policy choices that favour elites at the expense of workers.

In a statement issued in Lomé, Togo, to mark International Workers’ Day, the International Trade Union Confederation Africa (ITUC-Africa) said the continent stands at a decisive crossroads, with widening inequality threatening social stability, democracy, and long-term development.

Issued by its General Secretary, Joel Odigie, the union body accused political and economic elites of presiding over a system that extracts from the many to enrich the few, even as millions of workers grapple with rising living costs, unemployment, and deepening exclusion.

“Every year, billions are siphoned from our economies by corruption, tax abuse, and capital flight,” the statement said.

It added that for every dollar illicitly leaving Africa, it deprives the people of schools not built, hospitals not equipped, and jobs not created.

The union warned that the widening disconnect between democratic governance and citizens’ welfare is fuelling anger and instability across Africa.

Despite decades of democratic struggles, ITUC-Africa maintained that many governments have failed to deliver tangible improvements in workers’ lives, and austerity policies continue to erode wages and weaken public services.

Rejecting such measures, the body insisted that fiscal reforms must begin with justice, including progressive taxation, stronger public financial accountability, and decisive action against illicit financial flows, adding, “Fiscal consolidation cannot be built on the backs of workers.”

ITUC-Africa also raised the alarm over persistent conflicts ravaging parts of the continent, calling for an immediate end to violence in countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali.

It condemned both internal actors and external influences, accusing them of exploiting instability to access Africa’s vast natural resources.

It urged trade unions to play a more active role in defending peace and accountability, warning that workers will not remain silent while the continent is plundered under the guise of conflict.

ITUC-Africa also renewed its push for Africa’s industrial transformation, particularly amid surging global demand for critical minerals essential to the energy transition.

It cautioned against repeating historical patterns in which the continent exports raw materials while importing poverty, a cycle entrenched during previous commodity booms.

Instead, it called for value addition within Africa; strategic investment in skills, research, and technology; and stronger regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

It stated that the goal is to build resilient regional value chains capable of creating decent jobs and sustaining long-term prosperity.

The union outlined a sweeping reform agenda anchored in people-centred development, including massive public investment in energy infrastructure to end energy poverty; universal social protection, including for informal workers; responsible borrowing to escape the debt trap; and higher taxes on wealthy individuals.

It also pledged to intensify efforts to expose kleptocracy, warning that corruption not only undermines democracy but also drives insecurity and fuels the mass emigration of Africa’s skilled workforce.

ITUC-Africa further called for stronger protections for workers’ rights, including freedom of association and fair labour migration systems.

It condemned the resurgence of xenophobia across parts of the continent and criticised political leaders for failing to act decisively to prevent attacks on migrants.

In a rallying call to workers, the union urged collective action as the only viable route to change.