2 October, 2025In a transforming world of work, organizing and campaigns are becoming critical strategies for trade union survival. Facing a push back from global and national capital, trade unions are developing strategies that respond to local workplaces and sectoral dynamics.
In Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA), a region characterised by high unemployment, poverty and inequality, low wages, precarious working conditions, poor health and safety standards and human and workers’ rights violations, unions are concluding that organizing and campaigns are key to their survival and improved working conditions especially in the context of declining membership.
The unions expressed these views at a workshop for organizers, convened from 29 September to 1 October in Boksburg, South Africa, which discussed how to strengthen trade unions using various organizing tools and campaign strategies. These included mapping industries and workplaces and identifying potential union members, recruiting, and retaining them. Identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, using national labour laws and International Labour Organization conventions especially Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize) and 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining) effectively is crucial. Further, building union leaders capabilities and curbing gender-based violence and harassment are key. Emphasis was placed on strategic planning, effective communications with clear messages and use of digital platforms such as social media.
The 25 participants from Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe were trade union organizers and union leaders from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates that organize in energy, mining, diamonds, metals and engineering, textile and garment and other manufacturing industries. The workshop underscored that recruitment must pivot on unions primary mandate of protecting workers’ rights, although other benefits could be used to attract workers. The importance of the union as an organization for building solidarity and unity of the workers was key. Organizing was also described as a long-term activity to build union power and density at workplaces especially when done from the shopfloor while campaigns could be short and targeted at specific issues for impact.
The workshop included case studies, role plays and future organising plans, that were based on real workplace experiences and challenges that the unions were facing.
Global trade union networks like Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti, were identified as providing opportunities for recruitment and organizing. Further, global framework agreements were an example of a transnational collective bargaining agreement that unions could campaign for.
Zazi Mugambi, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa head of secretariat, and one of the participants, hailed the workshop as valuable.
“Unions are facing massive retrenchments because of the geopolitical crisis which weakens us daily. In South Africa we need to find ways to organize workers who are not unionised and increase membership to make our unions stronger.”
Aaron Chappell, who has diverse global experience on organizing, facilitated at the workshop with support from the Sub-Saharan Africa regional office. The workshop is the first under the IndustriALL campaigns and organizing project which was adopted by the Executive Committee in 2023 and seeks to bring synergies between organizing and campaigns.
“The aim is to build strong unions through effective organizing and campaigns’ strategies and tactics among trade unions in SSA and globally as this is one of the anchors of building trade union power,”
said Walton Pantland, IndustriALL organizing and campaigns director.