By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Organised Labour has thrown its weight behind Ghana’s historic push for reparatory justice over transatlantic slavery, calling for formal apologies, compensation, and concrete measures to address the enduring economic and social consequences of the slave trade.

In a joint press statement released on 27 March 2026, the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, and its African regional body, ITUC-Africa, commended the Government of Ghana for leading the charge at the United Nations General Assembly, where a resolution was advanced recognising transatlantic slavery as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.

“The legacy of transatlantic slavery persists in structural inequalities, racial injustice, and underdevelopment affecting Africa and its diaspora. Recognition is only the first step. Concrete action must follow, including apologies, restitution, and guarantees of non-repetition,” the statement said.
ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie and ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle, in the statement, called on other African governments and institutions to stand with Ghana in advancing a united continental agenda for reparations.

They also urged the international community, particularly former colonial powers, to engage in dialogue and take tangible steps toward justice.

The labour organisations stressed that the structures which sustained slavery—including exploitative trade, resource extraction, and external control of African economies—continue in modern forms such as debt dependency, unequal trade relations, and precarious labour conditions.

They warned that Africa’s economic emancipation requires control of its resources, industrial transformation, energy sovereignty, and protection of workers’ rights.

“This resolution is a historic milestone, but Africa’s freedom will only be realised through economic justice and social emancipation,” the statement concluded, calling for urgent action to correct centuries of historical injustice.

The ITUC and ITUC-Africa commended Ghana’s bold leadership at the UN and reiterated that the fight for reparations is inseparable from the struggle for decent work, economic transformation, and continental unity in the African Union’s Year of Reparations.