All 13 trade unions in the country have issued a call for a general and indefinite strike in Guinea, beginning this Monday, February 26th. The strike aims to demand a reduction in the prices of essential goods and an end to media censorship. Several radio stations and television channels in Guinea have ceased broadcasting their programs.
Despite calls for dialogue from authorities, employers, and religious leaders, no results have been achieved thus far. The unions have maintained their stance, and one by one, unions from major sectors of the Guinean economy have announced their support for the general and indefinite strike.
Workers from the mining, banking, telecommunications, money transfer services, and even motorcycle taxi sectors are urged to participate in the strike. The “Forces Vives de Guinée,” an alliance comprising the main political parties and civil society organizations, have instructed their supporters to adhere to the strike call.
It remains to be seen whether these directives will be followed. This first day will serve as a litmus test for both the trade union movement and the junta, which will face its first general strike since seizing power on September 5, 2021. With the dissolution of the government, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labor has taken charge of the matter. He has urged the trade unions to accept the authorities’ outstretched hand.
The unions are also demanding, as a precondition for negotiations, the release of Sékou Jamal Pendessa. The Secretary-General of the Guinea Press Professionals’ Union was sentenced to three months in prison last week.