lgbti workers

On November 11, the Council of Global Unions (CGU) LGBTI Coordinating Committee will hold a conference in Cape Town, South Africa, where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) trade unionists representatives from across the world will reflect on how to fight the global anti-LGBTI backlash and to amplify their support for LGBTI workers, people, and communities globally.  

The event will take place in parallel with the celebration of ILGA World Conference 2024, the largest global gathering of LGBTI organisations - and this is no coincidence. The global trade union movement has been a beacon of solidarity with the struggle of LGBTI communities and must continue to do so. In times of violent pushback, unity, resistance, and solidarity are fundamental to protect LGBTI rights and drive political change to achieve a world free of discrimination.  

The day will kick off early on November 11. Zingiswa Losi, the President of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), will welcome the participants, followed by keynote speeches from Sue Longley, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)s General Secretary; Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and President of Education International; and Steve Letsike, the South African Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.    

Five moments of joy will unfold during the conference - an opportunity to listen to inspirational stories, meaningful songs and powerful testimonials to keep spirits intact to continue the fight for LGBTI rights and equality.    

After a short break, participants will convene to attend the first panel discussion ‘Fighting the global anti-LGBTI backlash: challenges and successes in building support for LGBTI rights and equality in the trade union movement’. The session will be chaired by Michelle Mosupye, a South African educator and trade unionist from the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), who serves as National Development Youth Representative and LGBTQI+ National Representative.  

Professor Graeme Reid, the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) will present the findings of his recent report to the Human Rights Council. Jordania Ureña Lora. Deputy General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), will share unions’ strategies to organise against the far-right. Kim Vance-Mubanga, Director of Egale, the leading LGBTI rights organisation in Canada, will address how LGBTI human rights relate to the wider world of work. And Maddy Northam, ACT Regional Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), will provide a young workers’ perspective on the issue.    

From global to regional perspective, the second session will focus on ‘Fighting for LGBTI rights and equality in the global south’. Chaired by Keturah Johnson, the International Vice President of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the discussion will be enriched by interventions from Mbali Sabela from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) making the link between the anti-apartheid and LGBTI liberation struggles; Joel Simpson from the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Guyana on organising communities and religious groups for LGBTI equality; Gisele Adão from CONTAC in Brazil providing a perspective from Latin America and Dominador III H. Carunungan from Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) outlining experiences from the Asia-Pacific region.  

 The day’s practical session will be facilitated by Michele Kessler, Chair of United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) OUTreach in the United States, under the title ‘Freedom of association, occupational safety and health and the right to a workplace free from discrimination: tools for building support for LGBTI rights in the trade union movement’.   

Nina Benjamin from the Labour Research Service in South Africa will emphasise the importance of ILO C190 to combat violence and harassment against LGBTI workers. Occupational safety and health demands relating to gender identity will be addressed by Robin van Rensburg from South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU). Before opening the floor for discussion, Michael Craig from UNISON in Britain will share key strategies on organising for trans rights, a community increasingly under siege.   

The conference will close with Gina McKay from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Kimalee Phillip from the Canadian Labour Congress, and Marvellous Tawomhera from the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers Union (ZCHWU) leading reflections on the day and charting the way forward to the 2026 ILGA World Conference.   

Finally, Darienne Flemington from UNISON, in Britain will offer orientation to participants for the upcoming ILGA World Conference 2024, where trade unions participate in a dedicated labour caucus.  

With this trade union pre-conference, the global trade union movement will reaffirm its commitment to LGBTI people and communities across the world. LGBTI rights are human rights, and therefore, a trade union issue.