Good practices and strategic recommendations for strengthening trade union cooperation and collaboration in Africa

This study examines trade union cooperation and collaboration across Africa as a means of strengthening workers’ bargaining power, policy influence and organisational effectiveness. Focusing on eight case studies across different African sub-regions, the paper assesses the forms of union cooperation and collaboration that exist, the factors that enable or constrain them, and how they can be deepened. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining desk review, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, in-depth case studies and a survey of more than 200 trade union representatives. The findings show that Africa represents a diverse land-scape of trade union cooperation and collaboration, reflecting highly varied socio-economic, po-litical and trade union realities. While over 95 per cent of unions report some form of coordina-tion, the report finds that deeper institutional collaboration remains limited overall. Successful cooperation depends on a shared vision, inclusive leadership, institutional frameworks, effective communication, pooled resources and careful management of power dynamics.