CONGRATULATIONS TO EDDIE FOR COMPLETING THE AFRICA LABOUR LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE  

 

The United National Transport Union (UNTU) would like to congratulate Eddie de Klerk, The Deputy General Secretary, on completing the Africa Labour Leadership Initiative.

 

De Klerk, whom has been with the Secretariat of UNTU for the past 18 years, was the only South African trade union leader to be selected on merit to participate in the group of 6 Africans.

 

He was nominated by the UNTU’s affiliated trade union federation, FEDUSA, to participate in the program aimed at developing a future generation of trade union leaders for Africa.

 

“It was a privilege for me to be selected to participate and to get the opportunity to learn and engage with trade union leaders of other African countries and in the United States. The main purpose was to establish a network of trade union leaders between Africa and the American Trade Union Federation to take hands in building a future generation,” De Klerk says.

 

This Initiative is the brain child of the Solidarity Centre, AFL-CIO for the National Labour Leadership Initiative (NLLI) in collaboration with the Cornell ILR School based in the United States. The (NLLI) wanted to create a community of labour leaders in Africa that is dedicated to learning and development, strengthening transformation initiatives of their various trade unions and to build a broad progressive movement to empower workers for the rapid constant changes in the workplace.

 

De Klerk started with the first session of this program back in November 2015, when the African trade union leaders visited the United States as part of an exchange. Although the group had a great learning experience, they observed that the labour relations in the United States are far from being a bed of roses.

 

There is a fundamental limitation on the rights of American workers. One of the many examples is the farm workers are excluded from enjoying any labour rights set down by the Federal Government.

 

 

 

 

 

The group also had two sessions in South Africa before they completed the leadership initiative.

 

De Klerk says he will be implementing the knowledge he gained to benefit UNTU’s members.

 

Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Statements phone 082 463 6806 or e-mail sonja@untu.co.za.

 

Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.