- Ajaero called on the South African labour body to intensify awareness efforts in workplaces
- The NLC condemned the recent killings and destruction of businesses belonging to African migrants in South Africa
- Ajaero noted that African labour movements had historically stood together
The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to launch a widespread sensitisation campaign aimed at tackling xenophobia and protecting African migrant workers in South Africa.
In a letter dated May 7, 2026, addressed to COSATU’s leadership in Johannesburg, Eko Hot Blog gathered that NLC President Joe Ajaero said South Africa could not claim to champion workers’ rights while African migrants continued to face attacks and killings.
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Ajaero called on the South African labour body to intensify awareness efforts in workplaces, communities and union structures to counter anti-foreigner sentiments.
According to him, migrant workers should not be blamed for poverty and unemployment, as they are also victims of the same economic system affecting local workers.
The labour leader stressed the need to end what he described as the “racist myth” that Africans from neighbouring countries are enemies.
The NLC condemned the recent killings and destruction of businesses belonging to African migrants in South Africa, blaming the violence on worsening economic hardship and failed government policies.
Ajaero noted that African labour movements had historically stood together, recalling the support Nigerian workers gave during South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.
He warned that xenophobia and nationalism were again threatening solidarity among African workers.
The NLC president lamented that migrants were being targeted simply for being Africans living in another African country.
While acknowledging the realities of unemployment, housing shortages and poor social services in South Africa, he argued that political and economic elites were diverting public frustration toward vulnerable foreign workers instead of addressing deeper structural problems.
Ajaero maintained that the true challenge facing workers was not migration but economic systems and policies that prioritise profit over citizens’ welfare.
The Congress urged COSATU to move beyond issuing public statements and instead organise mass mobilisation campaigns against xenophobic violence across South Africa.
The NLC also called on the South African government to take immediate action, accusing security agencies of failing to adequately protect migrants and their businesses.
Ajaero demanded the prosecution of those responsible for the attacks and compensation for victims and affected families.
He warned that xenophobia could weaken working-class unity across Africa and reduce labour’s ability to collectively bargain against economic exploitation.
According to him, if the trend is not urgently addressed, it could spread beyond South Africa and threaten solidarity among workers across the continent.
The NLC further proposed an emergency meeting of African labour unions under regional trade union bodies to develop coordinated strategies for protecting migrant workers across borders.
Ajaero insisted that African workers’ liberation could only be achieved through unity and solidarity, regardless of nationality or passport.
The renewed concerns follow recent calls by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for tougher action against South African companies operating in Nigeria after reports of fresh xenophobic attacks that reportedly claimed the lives of two Nigerians in South Africa.
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