COTE D'IVOIRE: UNION OF PUBLIC SECTOR HEALTH

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000590 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV ECON EFIN IV SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: UNION OF PUBLIC SECTOR HEALTH PERSONNEL THREATEN STRIKE REF: A) ABIDJAN 560 B) ABIDJAN 438 C) ABIDJAN 333 ¶1. (U) On May 31, the union of senior public sector health personnel, Syndicat National des Cadres Superieurs de la Sante de Cote d,Ivoire (SYNACASS-CI),threatened to go on strike on June 15 if their demands regarding salary and rank within the civil service are not met. The SYNACASS-CI consists of public sector pharmacists, doctors, dentists, veterinarians and medical teaching faculty. The 2,800 SYNACASS-CI members have multiple grievances: the failure of the government to implement a promised reclassification of public sector health doctors at a higher rank within the civil service, which was agreed to by the Council of Ministers on October 20, 2005; the lack of an upward revision of base salaries for health personnel; the continuation of the civil service entry test which they want eliminated; the lack of compensation for doctors who were displaced by the conflict or were victims of the war; and the failure to appoint more medical doctors to senior positions at government institutions having to do with human and animal health. ¶2. (U) Speaking at a press conference, the leader of the SYNACASSI-CI, Dr. Magloire Amichia, denounced the government's unwillingness to address these issues, which have been pending for three years. After the union launched a one-day strike for settlement of the same list of demands, the government agreed to meet with union officials in December 2003. Since then, SYNACASSI-CI has held negotiations with successive health ministers and signed a protocol agreement with the government of Cote d'Ivoire to change the health system. To date none of the promised changes have been implemented. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: This latest threat of yet another strike comes at a time when the Ivoirian government is dealing with multiple unhappy labor organizations (Reftels A, B, and C). Prime Minister Banny has stated that he views these strikes as "distractions" from the important work at hand: DDR, reunification of the country, identification, voter registration and election preparation. Banny wants public calm and support for his government so he can move forward with the peace process. He cannot afford to allow multiple public sector employees, including health workers, teachers, and university professors, to simultaneously go on strike and disrupt daily life. As a result, the labor unions see the Prime Minister as vulnerable and believe that now is the time to press for concessions from the government. Given the government's financial woes, however, it is unlikely that Banny will be able to offer much in the way of immediate compensation. End Comment Hooks