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In an interview with CNBC Africa live from the UNI Africa Regional Conference in Nairobi, Jennings said that working people were frustrated that they were not sharing in the continents success story.

He said the wealth was going up and out of Africa and not down to the people.





“There is responsible union leadership in Africa. Africa is seeing real growth but we are not seeing it going down to workers in the formal and informal economies.



The frustration that people might feel about industrial action is nothing compared to what a working man or woman is feeling when they see the wages they are receiving are not making ends meet.



The trade union movement is bringing its message loud and clear to business and government – we have to fix this distribution problem – if the economy is growing we want to see our wage packets and quality of life growing and improving too.



What want is a living wage and we are not seeing that in Africa today.”





On China, Jennings said Chinese investment was important to Africa but African governments should take a strong line with Chinese investors and demand they work the local workforce and within existing labour rules.



“Chinese investors must understand that they should be working with the local workforce and work within the existing labour regime. This is a conversation we are having with the Chinese labour movement



Africa governments should take a stand. The South African government took a stand with Walmart in terms of local procurement. The rest of the continent should take a similar line with investors from China. What we are seeing now in Africa with China is not acceptable and simply has to change.”



Jennings pointed out that the road to inequality would lead to more protests.



“-Economic growth without equality is not sustainable. It is simply not right that a person on an average wage in South Africa has to work a 116 years to earn the same as a CEO. It is the same story all over Africa and the rest of the world.



This is the message I’ve brought here to Nairobi where more than 300 union leaders have gathered for UNI Africa’s regional meeting and it is the message I will take to the United Nations in New York on Friday where I will meet 600 business leaders and Ban-Ki Moon himself. “



Watch the full interview here.