By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa, has called for an immediate end to the decades-long United States economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba, warning that ordinary workers and citizens continue to bear the brunt of restrictions that undermine livelihoods, production and access to essential goods.

In a statement issued by its General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie, concluded with a call for concrete action to ensure that Cuban workers and their families experience meaningful improvements in their daily lives.

ITUC-Africa urged the United Nations, member states and relevant international institutions to move beyond repeated diplomatic declarations and take concrete measures to ease the restrictions and improve the living conditions of the Cuban people.

The organisation said the ongoing embargo raises fundamental questions about international law, national sovereignty and the credibility of multilateral institutions, arguing that the welfare and dignity of Cuban workers should not be sacrificed to geopolitical disagreements. It stressed that the international community must ensure that international law protects weaker nations and is applied consistently, irrespective of the power or influence of the countries involved.

“Solidarity is not an act of charity. It is an act of unity between allies fighting on different terrains towards the same objective, which is to further the development of humanity,” ITUC-Africa recalled, quoting former Mozambican President Samora Machel in highlighting the historical bonds between Africa and Cuba.

The organisation noted that Cuba played a significant role in Africa’s liberation struggles, adding that its support for the Caribbean nation goes beyond historical ties to encompass the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and social justice.

According to ITUC-Africa, the consequences of the embargo extend to workers’ wages and livelihoods, workplace operations, public services, access to medicines and essential supplies, as well as opportunities for young people.

“For Cuban workers, this debate is not a contest of diplomatic language. It concerns wages and livelihoods, the functioning of workplaces and public services, access to medicines and essential supplies, and the prospects of young people,” the statement said.
The organisation maintained that the prolonged hardship experienced by ordinary Cubans should not be treated as an acceptable consequence of political disagreements between governments.

It warned that the international system risks losing its credibility if powerful countries can impose their will without meaningful consequences, despite the expressed positions of the majority of nations.

“If power alone becomes the measure of what is permissible, the international order will cease to be a community of states governed by common rules and will instead become an arrangement in which the strongest call the shots,” ITUC-Africa stated.
The African trade union body said the situation should be of particular concern to African countries, given the continent’s historical experience with colonialism, external domination and struggles for political and economic self-determination.

ITUC-Africa therefore called for renewed and credible diplomatic engagement in line with the United Nations Charter, urging governments and international institutions to pursue practical measures capable of easing restrictions and supporting Cuba’s economic and social development.

The organisation also called for greater attention to the rights of Cuban workers, including decent work, freedom of association, social protection and meaningful participation in shaping their country’s future.

“The United Nations must not become a talk show in which resolutions are adopted year after year while the people concerned see no change,” the statement declared.

It further argued that international solidarity should be assessed by its tangible contribution to human dignity and improved living conditions rather than by political declarations or diplomatic alignments.

“For Africa’s trade union movement, the defence of Cuba is inseparable from the defence of a fairer international order,” ITUC-Africa said, adding that multilateralism would retain its legitimacy only when collective commitments carry weight and international law is applied consistently.

The statement called for concrete action to ensure that Cuban workers and their families experience meaningful improvements in their daily lives.

“The people of Cuba need more than another expression of concern. They must see change,” the organisation declared.