Senegal’s three-day general strike entered its second day on Thursday, with unions pressing the government to honour agreements on pay, pensions and working conditions amid a deepening economic crisis. The action comes just days before Senegal hosts the Youth Olympic Games.
Issued on:
The strike, called by the Front for the Defence of Workers (FSDT), which brings together 13 union confederations, began on Wednesday.
Union representatives said the action was being widely followed across several sectors, including education, electricity and public transport.
Electricity workers reported strong participation on Wednesday despite official requisitions requiring some staff to maintain services.
Dakar Dem Dikk public transport workers also observed the strike, although the state brought in military personnel to drive buses, union representatives said.
Public transportation was widely disrupted in the capital Dakar, as most public buses remained at the national company’s depot.
“This isn’t good; they really should be working. The trip will be longer and more complicated," said student Saliou Khouma.
However, one striking city hall employee enjoying a Touba coffee behind a stand said it was their "duty" to respect the strike.
"We can’t organise the YOG (Youth Olympic Games) with billions at stake when, right now, Senegalese workers aren’t being respected. There should be a thoughtful dialogue to try to defuse the situation rather than intimidate the workers."
Senegal’s Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Public Service Reform said in a statement on Monday that the strike was unlawful, arguing that the unions had not followed the correct procedures.
Pay and pensions
The unions say workers can no longer make ends meet and accuse the state of ignoring their demands.
Under a new Labour Code promulgated in early September, employers can keep workers on fixed-term contracts for up to four years. Unions want that capped at two years.
They also argue that the government has failed to fulfil commitments made under a national social stability pact signed in May.
Their demands include higher pensions, raising the compulsory retirement age from 60 to 65, payment of outstanding bonuses and the effective extension of a housing allowance worth 100,000 CFA francs (€153).
The pact affects key public services including health, education, higher education, electricity and local government.
Unions also allege mass or abusive redundancies in major state-linked companies and are demanding that dismissed workers be reinstated.
Cash-strapped Senegalese unmoved by Youth Olympic Games
Olympic pressure
The action comes days before Senegal hosts the Youth Olympic Games from 31 October to 13 November – the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil.
“This is a favourable moment for the unions, because it comes as the Youth Olympic Games approach,” political scientist Moussa Diaw, a researcher at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, told RFI.
“It's also a very difficult socio-economic context. Senegal is facing a debt crisis as well as a political crisis, as there are tensions between the executive and the legislature.”
The unions believe the government has not honoured all its commitments, Diaw said. Rising living costs, higher electricity prices and power cuts are also sources of public frustration, he said.
Senegal is struggling with a heavy debt burden. Debt stood at 132 percent of gross domestic product at the end of 2024, part of which unions claim had been “hidden” by the previous government under president Macky Sall.
The government has agreed a financing arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.2 billion support programme over 36 months aimed at restoring the country’s public finances.
Activists urge Senegal to halt LGBT crackdown as Youth Olympic Games near
Budget squeeze
That leaves the authorities with limited room to meet the unions’ demands while controlling spending.
“Satisfying these demands at a time when the budget is very tight is a real balancing act,” Diaw said.
The government repeatedly says it has no money while political demands for funding continue, he said.
The government has urged unions to suspend the strike and return to negotiations. Public Service and Labour Minister Mamadou Lamine Dianté made a formal appeal on Monday, calling for dialogue and consultation.
The government acted too late, Diaw said.
“It will be a showdown,” he said, describing the strike as a test of both the unions’ ability to mobilise workers and the government’s commitment to dialogue.
(with AFP)