Progress welcomed, other grievances exposed

2023-05-19 01:06:00

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The Minister of State, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané launched the work of the 1st ordinary session of the National Commission for Concertation, Consultation and Collective Negotiations for the year 2023 on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Several ministers were at this meeting you, including those of the three levels of education, the ministers of health, justice, the minister of labor and the public service and the general secretaries of trade union centers and confederations.

The Minister of State, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané presenting the achievements of 2022

What you must remember : At this negotiating table, the general secretaries of the trade union centers and confederations CSTB, COSI Benin, CSA Benin, CONEB and the National Council of Employers of Benin were present. For the Minister of State, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, this demonstrates their willingness to discuss in order to find suitable solutions for improving the living and working conditions of the populations. He took the opportunity to recall the importance that the government attaches to this commission. At this 1st exchange session, the discussions mainly focused on concerns relating to the Ministry of Nursery and Primary Education and that of Secondary Education, Technical and Vocational Training. The Minister of State, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, President of this Commission, highlighted the achievements of the consultations and collective negotiations following the sessions of April 26, September 8 and December 06, 2022.

What does the government say : The achievements relate in particular to the revaluation of the wages of workers in the public and private sectors through the raising of the value of the index point by 3% and the institution of a salary supplement for the benefit of State agents, civil servants or contract agents under public law, from 1 December 2022. The financial impact of this revaluation is estimated at more than 60 billion FCFA per year. In the same vein, the government obtained from the employers, the raising of the Guaranteed Interprofessional Minimum Wage (SMIG) by 30% to increase it from forty thousand (40,000) CFA francs to fifty-two thousand (52,000) CFA francs, effective January 1, 2023.

Between the lines : The other achievements relate in particular to the increase of two (02) months of salary to Aspirants to the Teaching Profession (AME), allowing them to now benefit from eleven (11) months of salary against nine (09) previously; the authorization of the transfer to the jobs of contract agents under public law of the State (ACDPE), aspirants to the teaching profession with a seniority of at least three (03) years and who have successfully passed the test of assessment ; the ongoing reassignment to the body of civil servants of all contract employees under public law who have obtained an average of 10 out of 20 or more during the assessment of knowledge and their reintegration into the civil service; the authorization by the Council of Ministers in January 2023, of the lifting of the sanctions imposed on the 305 teachers who refused to take part in the said evaluation and the very soon programming of the resumption of the payment of their salaries; the inclusion in 2022 of three thousand (3,000) young people as part of the youth integration project and the special program for integration into employment; the employment of more than 6,000 young Beninese in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone; providing health facilities with essential drugs, equipment and medical consumables, etc.

Overview of the authorities and trade union centers during the exchanges

What the unions think : The social actors recognized the efforts and the progress made by the government following the last consultations. However, they noted some problems that persist. On top of that, they reiterated some grievances. The Secretary General of the CSTB, Kassa Mampo presented a catalog of grievances including the payment of 12 out of 12 months of salary to the AMEs, the improvement of the working conditions of the workers on certain construction sites, etc. It should be noted that other sessions are planned on behalf of this first ordinary session of the Commission with the aim of working to improve the living conditions of workers.

Alban T.