LABOR UNIONS SAY THEY WILL SUPPORT NEW PRIME

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000255

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: LABOR UNIONS SAY THEY WILL SUPPORT NEW PRIME
MINISTER

REF: CONAKRY 0244


1. (U) Louis M'Bemba Soumah, president of the teacher's
union (SLECG),made an announcement on public radio the
evening of May 30. He said that the unions understand that
the January 2007 Accords stipulate that no member of any
former government can be appointed as the consensus prime
minister. Soumah reportedly said that this requirement
should prevent the new prime minister, Dr. Ahmed Tidiane
Souare, from being appointed. However, he added that because
the unions know Souare well, have worked with him in the
past, and respect him, they are willing to continue working
with him as prime minister. Soumah said that the unions will
support Souare as long as he continues in the direction of
"le changement."


2. (SBU) The teacher's union, under Soumah's leadership, had
met with the PM on May 29 and advised him of their intent to
strike effective June 10 if certain economic demands were not
addressed (reftel). However, another union contact told Pol
LES that a broader union representation, including
representatives from 16 different member unions of
Unions-Intersyndicale, met with the PM on May 30. Prime
Minister Souare reportedly opened the meeting by thanking the
unionists, telling them that he owes his current position as
PM to them. He reminded them that when he was previously
serving as the Minister of Higher Education, union
representatives came to see him and told him that they were
sorry he had to leave the government, but all of his
colleagues were irrevocably corrupt, and the government had
to be dissolved. Souare reportedly said that the unionists
told him at that time that they had liked working with him
and had nothing against him personally.


3. (SBU) The union contact told Pol LES that the union
leaders responded by thanking Souare and emphasizing that
they expect the January 2007 Accords to be respected.
Specifically, they told him that Souare should not appoint
any corrupt former government officials to his cabinet; he
should find an immediate solution to the military mutiny; he
should address continuing economic demands; and he should
firmly address the issue of Mamadou Syllah. The PM
reportedly responded by saying that he considers the Accords
as his "compass." He stressed that he does not plan to have
any former government officials as part of his government.


4. (SBU) On the issue of the pre-notification of intent to
strike, Souare reportedly asked the unions to refrain from
formally submitting it to the government, if they had not
already done so. Union contact told Pol LES that the
teachers' union had already delivered the strike notification
to the appropriate GoG ministry.


5. (SBU) The ministers of labor and education reportedly
joined PM Souare in the May 30 meeting with unionists. Both
ministers are the only two members of the cabinet who are
also union members.


6. (SBU) The co-chairs of Unions-Intersyndicale, Dr.
Ibrahima Fofana and Serah Rabiatou Diallo, are still in
Geneva for an international labor conference, which does not
end until June 13. According to sources, they are not
currently planning on returning to Conakry before the end of
the conference.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


7. (SBU) The fact that the unions now appear to be willing
to try and work with the new PM suggests that Louis M'Bemba
Soumah may have been getting ahead of everyone else. Given
that he made the public radio address himself, it seems
likely that the teachers' union will back down from their
strike threat, at least for the time being. END COMMENT.
CARTER