Introduction

President of the ACFTU, our hosts and organisers of this Summit

Leaders of the African Continental trade union movement

Fellow trade unionists from different national centres and federations

Invited Guests and delegates

Dear Comrades,

COSATU appreciates the invitation by the ACFTU to this important initiative to bring together the trade union movement across the African continent and the Chinese trade union movement to share and exchange information and ideas on the critical issue of modernisation and the role of trade unions.

We recognise the work we are together involved in with our friends in the ACFTU in a number of bilateral and multilateral platforms, including BRICS Trade Unions Forum (BTUF), which we together were part of initiating, resulting in the historic 1^st version held in the city of Durban (now eThekwini) in 2010.

This forum follows the successful hosting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, from 4 to 6 September, in Beijing. We also gather here in the context of the 16^th BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 October, held in Kazan, Russia. Both FOCAC and BRICS present opportunities for our respective countries to coordinate our efforts towards mutual cooperation and to concretize our goals for the development and prosperity for all hour peoples.

This initiative, the China-Africa Trade Union Leaders Summit is being launched at the right time in the history of workers on the African continent and globally. The geopolitical economy is undergoing the most challenging strain resulting from the effects of heightened militarisation of power. This further entrench and deepen the inequalities between different regions of the world, with Africa being the worst victim of underdevelopment and systemic exclusion from critical decision making about important global issues.

COSATU regards itself as the primary organ of the South African working class in advancing working class power, unity and struggle against poverty, inequalities, unemployment and hunger.

We remain a critical force of the progressive international trade union movement and relates to unions in the different international centres, but with the sole aim to unite the working class in struggles around the most pressing issues facing workers and humanity in general. To this end, we work with our continental trade union partners to advance the struggle for a new, democratic and developmental trajectory of Africa.

This we do in same breath on the global South in challenging the domination of unions from the global North and West. This is why we welcome with more eagerness and energy, this important initiative and commit to do our part to ensure it fulfils its mission.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as basis of our shared Programme

The recently concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successful by all accounts, particularly in its very clear articulation of the 10-points action plan between Africa and China.

These constitute a comprehensive programme covering all major areas of development and economic goals necessary to take our partnership, particularly our own continent, Africa forward. These include.

1. Partnership Action for Mutual learning to enhance the China-Africa knowledge network for development, with 25 centres for China -Africa studies, including development of skills for political and state governance
2. Partnership for Trade prosperity, granting Africa special economic opportunities in the Chinese market, including e-commerce, economic partnership agreements and long-term investment in Africa
3. Partnership Action for Industrial Chain cooperation, including Pilot zones and towards a Digital Technology cooperation centre to embrace the latest round of technological revolution
4. Partnership Action for Connectivity, promotion of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with a dedicated programme to support the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) implementation and effective regional economic integration on the continent
5. Partnership Action for Development Cooperation, with the release of the Joint statement on cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative with Africa, with livelihood projects, as well as Africa hosting major global events
6. Partnership Action for Health, with hospitals alliance, joint medical centres, about 2000 medical personnel to Africa, launch of 20 programmes of health facilities and support for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen public health capacity in all African health countries
7. The Partnership Action for Agriculture and Livelihoods, with concrete financial commitments, including specified numbers of agricultural experts to be trained. This will include the China-Africa science and technology innovation alliance, including promoting community welfare. Further, in this programme, FOCAC committed to at least one million jobs for Africa.
8. Partnership Action for People-to-people Exchanges, with the Future of Africa-Vocational Education cooperation Plan, establishment of an engineering technology academy and several specialised workshops. This includes 60 000 training opportunities for Africa, mainly women and youth. Commitment to the launch of the Joint Africa-China Cultural Silk Road Programme, including innovation in radio, TV and audio and visual programmes. To this end, 2026 is designated 2026 as the China-Africa Year of the People-to-People exchanges
9. The Partnership Action for Green Development, targeting 30 clean energy projects in Africa, including meteorological early warning systems, disaster prevention, mitigation relief, as well as biodiversity conservation. Firm commitment to the creation of a China Africa forum on peaceful use of nuclear technology, joint laboratories, satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep space exploration, all to enhance green development on the African continent.
10. Partnership Action for Common Security, which shall include dedicated support for Africa in pursuit of the global security initiative (GSI), major assistance with training and peace and security initiatives, as well as safety and peace building projects.

Towards this end, there were concrete commitments made to ensure the goals set are achieved and mutual development benefits realised. This lays the firm foundation for a new, mutually beneficial partnership upon which we could base our trade union to trade union cooperation. This also builds firmly on the work we together are doing in the BRICS Trade Union Forum, in the ILO and in various other important platforms we share.

Tasks of the China Africa Trade Union Leaders Summit

Our tasks are firmly located in locating the strategic role that the trade union movement play in changing society and advancing the aspirations of the working class and society at large.

This 2024 China Africa Trade Union Leaders Summit is premised on the commitment to the modernisation of our countries and the role of the trade union movement. We strive to promote a deeper exchange, collaboration and partnership in various areas of our work. In the main, policy and research, international solidarity and cooperation programmes, new forms of organising for decent work as well as innovative funding models for trade unions.

To this end, we propose the following for consideration in designing the programme, coordination mechanism and activities of the Forum for China-Africa Trade Union Cooperation.

1. Establishment of a Trade Union Cooperation mechanism between the trade union movement of China represented by ACFTU and the trade union movement of Africa in its diverse constituent forms. This includes national bilateral and regional/continental structures of the trade union movement on the African continent.
2. Planning for structured meetings every 3 years, as per FOCAC (Forum for China Africa Cooperation) Calendar, which meets every 3 years, either in China or in an African country, as identified accordingly.
3. Agreeing on a Joint Platform/statement of Commitment, outlining what are our common vision and objectives and implications for individual and shared responsibilities in implementing them, particularly in the areas of.

1. Background to our historic relationship, context and basis of our partnership
   1. Concrete assessment of the conditions facing the working class in each of our countries and regions to properly understand the correct location and role of the trade union movement in each of our countries and regions
   1. The concrete tasks of building and strengthening effective capacity to jointly pursue our common vision and objectives
   1. Commitments to jointly implementing the 2024 Beijing FOCAC outcomes and concrete targets
2. China-Africa Trade Union Development and Solidarity Fund
3. Creation of a Joint Technical and Coordination Team, made up of senior officials from each of our partner countries and organisations

Synergy between BTUF and FOCAC

There is great synergy between what we said as trade unions at the BRICS trade union forum and what we are saying at this ACFTU. This cooperation between Africa and China is a useful mechanism for modernization and development that must reduce poverty and inequality as well as improve livelihoods of all our people. As trade unions, modernization anchored in industrialization and building capacity of the productive economy is important because manufacturing and building the productive capacity of our economies is the most effective way to create sustainable employment.