Bringing workers together to fight for tax justice
Network of Unions for Tax Justice
Network of Unions for Tax Justice
2025 Trade Union Tax Forum: Uniting labour power for global tax justice
Public Services International (PSI), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), ITUC Africa and the global Network of Unions for Tax Justice (NUTJ) look forward to welcoming trade union leaders and senior officials to Accra, Ghana, from 9–10 November 2025.
Held just ahead of the PSI Regional Conference for Africa and Arab Countries (AFRECON), this year’s forum will be a key moment to build regional and global coordination around tax justice priorities.
This event is exclusively for trade union representatives (by invitation only). One session will include dialogue with civil society and intergovernmental organisations.
👉 Please request to attend the forum via this form.
In-person attendance is limited and subject to confirmation. Virtual registration is open to all invitees.
This page will be regularly updated with the latest details on the agenda, speakers, and logistics.
Click the arrows below to learn more about this year's Trade Union Tax Forum.
About the 2025 Trade Union Tax Forum
The Forum will address tax justice across three interconnected dimensions. First, it will focus on national reform, with trade unions sharing experiences of transitioning from protest to policy influence. Sessions will examine effective advocacy, communication strategies and legislative engagement. A prime example is the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT), a draft legislation developed by West African unions and researchers to ensure multinationals pay their fair share.
Second, the Forum will take stock of the evolving international landscape. As traditional powers like the United States step back from global tax reform efforts, opportunities have emerged for more representative leadership. The Africa Group has been instrumental in this transformation, from initiating the UN resolution on inclusive international tax cooperation to currently shaping the resulting Framework Tax Convention.
Third, the Forum will strengthen alliances and build coordinated strategies for the year ahead. Trade unions and civil society allies will identify shared priorities and map opportunities for joint action. With tax justice campaigns gaining momentum globally, coordinated efforts across borders are essential to match the scale of multinational tax avoidance.
This work comes at a critical time. Africa faces an estimated annual SDG financing gap of US$ 1.67 trillion, yet many countries remain well below the 15% tax-to-GDP benchmark set by the African Union. Ghana and Nigeria, for example, are at 14 and 7.9% respectively. As governments face mounting fiscal pressures, large corporations continue shifting profits and exploiting loopholes, draining resources needed for health, education, climate resilience and care systems. Across Africa and the Global South, tax justice remains essential for mobilising domestic resources, financing quality public services and reducing dependence on external aid.
Through coordinated fair tax advocacy, trade unions are defending the foundations of social and economic development, tackling inequality and delivering genuine economic sovereignty.
Agenda
Day 1 – Sunday, 9 November
13:00 – 13:30 | Welcome and opening remarks |
13:30 – 14:00 | Key note speech: why the struggle for tax justice is a struggle for dignity? |
14:00 - 14:30 | Coffee break |
14:30 – 16:00 | Item 1. Make change at home (1) – from protest to Parliament: leveraging union influence at all levels
This panel will bring together organisers who’ve led successful advocacy and corporate campaigns to share how they built influence, overcame challenges, and moved from mobilisation to real reform. |
16:00 – 17:30 | Item 2. Make change at home (2) – a labour proposal for fair minimum taxation
A look at a draft legislative proposal designed from within the region to ensure multinationals pay a fairer share. The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT) offers a practical tool for tackling one of Africa’s most entrenched tax injustices — large profits going untaxed. Developed by unions and allied experts, it’s a model others could adapt. |
Social event |
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Day 2 – Monday, 10 November
09:00 – 10:30 | Item 3. Towards a new global tax governance? - State of play at the United Nations
An update on the negotiations for a UN tax convention, what’s on the table, and who’s pushing for what. We’ll hear from experts and union allies following the process closely, and reflect on what it could mean for workers and tax justice worldwide. |
10:30 – 12:00 | Item 4. Building alliances - Exchange of views with civil society on priorities and areas of shared action
An open exchange with civil society allies to identify shared goals and opportunities for joint action. The discussion will help map out common priorities for 2025 and strengthen coordination in the fight for tax justice. |
12:00 – 13:30 | Lunch |
13:30 – 15:30 | Item 5. What’s next for trade union action? Strategic and policy discussion
A working session to take stock of union efforts in 2025 and chart the path ahead. We’ll reflect on what’s working, where we need to grow stronger, and how to align our strategies for greater impact in 2026. |
15:30 – 16:00 | Break |
16:00 – 17:00 | Closing: Where next for tax justice in Africa?
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Speakers
Stay tuned