51 workers of Socotra, certainly one of the biggest freight transport firms in Côte d’Ivoire, have simply been laid off, or 20% of the corporate’s workers (which has a whole of 251 workers). At the tip of March, the employees demanded the best to kind a commerce union inside the firm. They declare to have been rejected, main them to file a strike discover. The administration, which confirms these dismissals, accuses them of violence and subordination.
From our correspondent in Abidjan,
For 3 weeks, in early April, Socotra workers arrange a picket line in entrance of the corporate’s premises close to the Bassam freeway. Employees demanded an enchancment in working situations and condemned late funds. “We work two months, we receives a commission monthly, underlines certainly one of them. We’ve got no holidays, we have now no bonuses, we have now no college loans. A driver can earn 25,000, 35,000.”
To assist these calls for, the corporate’s workers needed to create a union at the tip of March. In line with Ouattara Youssouf, consultant of the strikers, the director of the corporate, Samy Mehry, additionally the deputy mayor of Lakota, didn’t approve the creation of this union. The Socotra firm confirms Ouattara Youssouf. We requested an current union to come back and assist. U.S. A number of weeks later, [Samy Mehry] obtained us and instructed us clearly that he didn’t desire a union in his firm. ”
Two-day strike
After this refusal, the workers of the corporate determined to strike for 2 days. In a video that RFI was capable of seek the advice of, the pinnacle of Socotra, Jessica Tiah, then warns workers in opposition to this motion. “Those that resolve to strike as we speak will endure the implications,” she stated on this video.
Following the primary day of strike motion, 51 Socotra workers have been dismissed, a few of whom had been in service for 19 years. The corporate’s authorized director, Franck De Bayer, says it was not the need to create a union that led to those redundancies however the in-boarding of worker representatives.
“There have been reactions of subordination to the CEO, the enterprise administration and all of the managers who have been current at this assembly. In an environment of hysteria in entrance of his union mates, raises his voice and shouts to the boss. What we discovered unacceptable as an administration. The worker can solely be subordinate, in keeping with the authorized supervisor.
The putting workers denied any type of violence throughout the strike and determined to convey a number of appeals to the Swedish Labor Inspectorate and the Ministry of Labor.
Following a survey in 144 nations, the Confédération Syndicale Internationale des Droits 2020 labeled Côte d’Ivoire – together with 18 different nations – within the fourth class, as “systematic violations of staff’ rights”.
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