In Mali, UNTM, the country’s leading trade union, is urging all workers to stop working until next Friday. Last month, a similar movement had already slowed down activities in the country for three days. Today, the allegations have not changed, even though discussions are ongoing with the authorities.
UNTM’s requirements are always the same: harmonization of public sector wage indices, bonuses and subsidies, or the fate of compressed workers, these employees of previously nationalized state-owned enterprises. Last month, the UNTM strike severely reduced activity, particularly in banks, mines and some public services in Bamako and the region.
Since then, the contact between the government and the trade union organization has not been broken, meetings continue to be held. Yacouba Katilé, president of UNTM, agrees to participate, but he intends to keep the pressure on: “We accepted not to be really extremists and if there is anything so much better. Otherwise, we will continue until the end of the strike. ”
In addition to the current discussions, a comprehensive social conference is announced by the transitional authorities for the first quarter of 2021. But Yacouba Katilé does not want to wait any longer: “Discussions about the world of work are on three levels: employers, the state and the unions concerned. So we do not necessarily have to wait for a social conference. Also, how long has it been going on? We talk about it, we talk about it, but it can still take months or even years. So we can not wait for a social conference. ”
This social front posed an additional difficulty for the authorities at that time where the Transitional National Council, a highly controversial legislative body, is introduced. After being installed ten days ago, it is currently completing the process of adopting its internal rules before starting its work. UNTM, which has no representative at CNT, makes sure that it does not make any calculations related to this political context.
RFI did not answer the question from the Ministry of Labor and the public administration, which was responsible for the negotiations.
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