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Bowyer retires from UNI at the end of March this year and would be replaced by Ms. Christy Hoffman from the United States, the first woman to hold such a position since UNI’s creation in 2000.

Addressing the 11^th UNI Africa Executive Committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt on 10^th March, Bowyer described Africa as “an important part of my life” in the union career.

He recalled that his first trip to Africa was to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso which left an enormous impact on his life as he came face to face with the real poverty situation in Africa.

He went on to initiate humanitarian projects in several African countries in partnership with local communities and the Communications Workers’ Union of Ireland.

Bowyer said he leaves UNI Africa at the verge of real independence as the region embarks on the project “Africa facing up to its future.” He urged the region to strive for financial independence.

A postman by profession, Bowyer joined the then Postal, Telegraph and Telephone International (PTTI) after he graduated from College in 1976 and became its general secretary in 1989. PTTI changed its name to Communications International (CI) in 1999 which, in 2000, merged with other four international trade secretariats to form UNI Global Union with Bowyer as deputy general secretary.

He said PTTI fulfilled its vision of establishing an independent African regional office in Tunis which later changed locations to Lagos, Accra and Ndola (Zambia). UNI now has three offices in Africa in Abidjan, Johannesburg and Tunis.

And immediate past president of UNI Africa, Gabou Gueye, described Bowyer as a real architect of trade unions on the African continent. He said under the then PTTI, now UNI, Bowyer took Africa on board and helped train and develop unions on the continent.

UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings described Bowyer as an architect of financing and budgeting in UNI. He said with Bowyer’s efforts, UNI had realised its vision of building a united and forever learning organisation.