Senegalese unions voice numerous demands on their first Labour Day march in four years
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After four years without a May Day parade because of Covid-19 among other strategic reasons, Senegal has organised a rally for Labour Day this year. This will be President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's first interface with trade unions.
The unions are marching towards Independence Square in the centre of the capital, Dakar.
There, they plan to submit a list of grievances to the president with a list of demands, hoping that social dialogue will be more fluid than in the past.
Cost of living
The principle issue is inflation and the cost of living.
On this point, the unions agree and are awaiting concessions.
The National Confederation of Workers of Senegal (CNTS) is the biggest trade union in Senegal.
"The authorities are very aware of this now, and, since they have just arrived, we do not expect that all the issues will be resolved right away,” Mody Guiro, its general secretary of told RFI.
President Diomaye Faye had previously promised to offer a plan to combat the high cost of living and measures to lower prices before 15 May.
Pay inequity
The second issue for unions is pay. Many unions denounce the inequality in salary between the different state agents, which consist of about 175,000 people in total.
"There is an urgent need to resolve this inequality," he said.
