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