The workers of the GMC (Grand Moulin de Conakry) flour production factories have been on strike since March 4th. This Thursday, April 6, they again took to the streets of Kaloum, to express their fed up. Forced to leave their jobs, and replaced by new recruits, these workers accompanied by their union demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Labor and Public Service, after a brief passage in front of the Presidency of the Republic located at the Palace Mohammed V. They accuse the general management of GMC of “violation of the Labor Code and non-compliance with the memorandum of understanding signed in 2021”.
Equipped with the national tricolor, the strikers challenge the authorities on their situation with signs on which one could read: “Respect for the Labor Code”, “No to unfair dismissal”, “President of the Republic, save the workers of GMC”, “General Labor Inspectorate, do justice!” or even “Hire us, 8 years is too much!”. These demonstrators demand respect for their rights and the improvement of their living and working conditions, which they describe as “deplorable”.
The General Secretary of the GMC union delegation, Soriba Manet, says they are demonstrating in the streets, to “enforce” their rights. “We have been on strike for a month because of the unfair dismissals of the workers. We demand categorization, compliance with the work plan, the annual training plan and the application of article 131.2 of the Labor Code which stipulates that the employment contract of a foreigner must not exceed four years. At GMC Kagbélen, many have crossed this line. Even the general manager is in his seventh year.
The strikers say they are “exploited”, which is why, they say, they do not intend to give up before their demands are satisfied. These have been mentioned on paper and deposited at the level of the ministries and services concerned for a few days. However, they note that the General Labor Inspectorate “does not get wet enough to find a consensus and GMC does not move on its line”. They will intensify the strike movements until we are reassured “to be heard with the consideration of our complaints”.
The Ministry of Labor is involved
At first, this case was brought to the prefecture of Dubréka. Soriba Manet reports that instead of legal texts, they were threatened by the prefect who swore to authorize their layoff, the recruitment of other workers, if they do not return to work without conditions. “We stuck to our positions, they carried out their threat. Then they sent police pick-ups to secure the new workers, to prevent us from entering the factory or boycotting the work”. They accuse the prefectural inspector of Dubréka of having signed an act of dismissal of the union delegates. A decision suspended a little later by the General Labor Inspector.
On April 6, after storming the front of the Ministry of Labor and the Public Service, the strikers’ union was received by the General Labor Inspectorate in Kaloum. “Nothing concrete. We are asked to calm the strikers while waiting for him to call on some GMC officials, before telling us something new, ”reported Soriba Manet.
“We trust the law »
To date, more than 400 people have been made redundant and replaced at GMC. The Syndicalist remains hopeful. “We are in the legality, we believe that we live in a state of law. We trust the law. In the meantime, we will continue to be heard”.
The President of the transition, trade unionists ask to get more involved, better deal with the private sector. He points out that the agreements on the papers do not reflect the reality on the ground. “We invite him to come himself for a field visit. He will understand that these instructions are not carried out”. According to them, the inspectors who go there only hang out in the offices and meet neither the workers nor the union.
Abdoulaye Pellel Bah