More than five hundred union leaders from across Africa and beyond are gathering in Dakar, Senegal this week for the 4^th UNI Africa Conference (http://ForwardForANewAfrica.org). The conference will address the important role of unions in this Brave New Digital World in creating material difference for workers. UNI’s sectors, including Post and Logistics and Finance who signed global agreements with GeoPost and Auchan respectively last week, are holding meetings in the run up to conference. The importance of Youth and Women to the future of Africa are also underlined by the separate meetings also being held by UNI in Dakar this week. 

PRESS CONFERENCE

Members of the media are invited to attend the opening of the summit at 4pm on Thursday, March 23 which will be followed by a press conference at 6pm at the King Fahd Palace. Members of the media are also invited to attend the UNI Africa Women’s Conference on Wednesday, March 22 at King Fahd Palace.

PLEASE NOTE: Only accredited journalists will be able to attend the event. Journalists will be required to present their press pass or ID to access the event.

Please click on this link to request an accreditation: http://apo.af/UNIAfrica.

SUMMIT DETAILS

A number of top leaders will address the meeting, including Nobel Peace Prize winner, Houcine Abassi, one of the members of the Tunisian Quartet who received the award in 2015 for nurturing a peaceful transition after the Arab Spring. The heads of all UNI’s African affiliates are taking part as well as keynote speakers from further afield including Professor Mark Graham from the Oxford Internet Institute who will focus on Africa’s digital future and the changing work landscape in Africa. Africa’s population is expected to double in the next 20 years up to 2 billion people, with the number of young people rising from 452 million to 1.2 billion, and the creation of new middle class of around 300 million drawn to new mega-cities. The number of multinationals operating in Africa is also expected to grow many fold, some from within Africa, others from outside, including the continued influence of China.