AASU Salutes African Workers For Their Contributions To The Advancement Of The Continent, May Day 2017

On the occasion of the International Labour Day- 1^st May 2017; the All-Africa Students’ Union (AASU)-Secretariat wishes to extend its heartfelt solidarity with all the workers in the world particularly African workers for their immense and exceptional role in the overall development efforts of the Continent. The African workers operate, most of the time, in very hazardous and difficult conditions, and gaining very low remunerations.

This situation is a reflection of the general African condition characterized by chronic poverty, diseases, bad governance in the midst of abundant human and natural resources. As a result, disillusionment and despair forces young people to leave the shores of the continent on a daily basis and at the peril of their lives in the search for better living conditions elsewhere particularly in North America and Europe. This state of affairs calls for self-examination on our part because nobody will develop Africa apart from we ourselves. We need to tap into our continent rich human resources and abundant raw materials to overturn the current sad circumstances.

For fundamental and positive changes to take place in Africa, the workers must continue to be at the forefront of the general African people’ struggle to integrate, reclaim their cultures and the ownership of the continent developmental agenda. The integration of the African continent is the key to the numerous problems confronting it; therefore it is a must. We, all, must understand by now that the African borders are artificial but real tools for divide and rule policy set by the former colonizers to maintain their control over the continent.

We, in AASU, call on the workers to unite and avoid fragmentation at their front in order to be able to successfully defend their rights and interests and also fulfill their role adequately together with other democratic forces in African developmental efforts;

We urge African Governments and other employers to ensure more suitable working environment and remunerations for the workers commensurate to their contributions to development efforts of Africa and the industries;

Long live International Labour Day!
Long live African workers!
All for the integration of the Continent!