Conakry, Guinea - On, May 1, 2024, Guinea joined the world in celebrating International Labor Day, an emblematic day that recalls the historic struggles of the trade union movement across the globe. This year’s commemoration took on particular significance as Guinean workers presented the government with an ambitious platform of demands, articulated around 24 points crucial to the country’s social and economic progress.
Under the coordination of the country’s most representative trade union centers, workers unveiled their demands during peaceful demonstrations in Conakry. Abdoulaye Camara, General Secretary of the Union Syndicale des Travailleurs de Guinée (USTG), declared that these points reflect the deep aspirations of Guinean workers for a better and fairer life.
At the heart of these demands are calls for improved working and living conditions for workers. Among the main demands are the application of 80% medical coverage for civil servants, state contract workers, pensioners and their families, as well as the acquisition of new urban and intercity transport buses to facilitate citizens’ mobility.
In addition, the workers demanded internal negotiations in the private and mixed sectors to raise basic salaries by 70%, as well as a significant increase in retirement pensions declared to the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS). They also called for the correct application of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on the protection of workers’ rights, and the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace.
Alongside these socio-economic demands, Guinean workers are also calling for concrete measures to ensure road safety, environmental protection, press freedom and access to information.
Faced with this platform of demands, the Guinean government, through the Ministry of Labor and Civil Service, has undertaken to respond to the workers’ concerns. This commitment testifies to the authorities’ willingness to work in collaboration with the unions to promote the well-being of all Guineans.
On this symbolic day, Guinea’s workers reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the fight for social justice, equality and fundamental rights at work. Their collective voice remains an essential pillar of democracy and progress in Guinea, and their determination to defend workers’ interests continues to inspire positive change across the country.