HEALTH UNIONS HOLD TWO DAY LABOR STRIKE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000440

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PGOV ASEC GV
SUBJECT: HEALTH UNIONS HOLD TWO DAY LABOR STRIKE


1. (U) SUMMARY. Guinea's health unions staged a 48 hour
nationwide labor strike on Monday and Tuesday due to the
GoG's lack of response to demands dating back to 1992. More
than half of the country's public health workers reportedly
participated in the strike, effectively crippling public
health services. The GoG signed an initial agreement with
the union late on August 12, but negotiations are expected to
continue as many of the union's demands have not been
addressed. The strike represents yet another specialized
interest group making its move to pressure the GoG to meet
financial demands in the wake of the May military mutiny.
END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Following a series of negotiations dating back to May
2008, Guinea's health union, the Federated Union of
Professional Health Workers (FSPDS),resumed a nationwide
labor strike on Monday, August 11. The strike was then
suspended just before midnight on August 12 after union
leaders succeeded in reaching an initial, written agreement
with the GoG. During the 48 hour strike, many public health
workers throughout the country stayed at home, leaving health
centers and hospitals severely understaffed.


3. (U) On August 13, A/DCM met with FSPDS Secretary General
Mme Pierette Tolno, and her colleague Dr. Daouda Conde. In
addition to his role within the union, Dr. Conde is also the
Secretary General of Youth within the Ministry of Health.
FSPDS is a member of the larger National Confederation of
Guinean Workers (CNTG),which is led by Mme Sera Rabiatou
Diallo.

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DEMANDS DATING BACK MORE THAN 15 YEARS
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4. (U) Dr. Conde told A/DCM that FSPDS has been demanding
better working conditions from the Guinean Government since
1992, but has had no success in winning any concessions. He
noted that FSPDS held a strike for one week in 1999, but then
suspended it to appease public upset over the closure of
health facilities. Dr. Conde said that the GoG has made a
number of promises over the years, but has never signed any
formal agreement.


5. (SBU) Union demands include calls for an increased
transportation allowance, professional insurance, provision
of uniforms, salary increases, regular monthly payment of
pensions, payment of 18 months worth of salary arrears to 625
health workers employed in February 2005, and continuing
education opportunities. Offering an example of the Ministry
of Health's poor compensation packages, Dr. Conde said that
health workers responsible for keeping hospitals and clinics
clean earn less than 75,000 GnF ($16.66) per month.

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INITIAL AGREEMENT REACHED, BUT MORE TO BE NEGOTIATED
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6. (SBU) Mme Tolno said that a written protocol between
FSPDS and the GoG had been signed, but that copies had not
yet been distributed. According to Mme Tolno, the GoG agreed
to pay a monthly transportation allowance of 145,000 GnF
($32.22) to every employee beginning in September. In
addition, the GoG agreed to pay salary arrears to the 625
health workers hired in February 2005 who have been working
since then without receiving a paycheck. Mme Tolno said that
the FSPDS will continue negotiating with the GoG regarding
their other demands, but agreed to return to work because a
health strike negatively impacts the general population.


7. (SBU) When asked about negotiations with the new
government, the union representatives said that the new
Minister of Health, Dr. Mariame Beavogui, has been very
responsive. According to Dr. Conde, just a few days after
assuming her duties, the minister requested a meeting with
FSPDS after seeing a copy of their demands on her desk, which
were reportedly left there by the previous minister. "We
were very satisfied with how quickly she responded to us,"
Dr. Conde said. She reportedly told union members that she
would address their issues, but requested time to work on
them as she was new to the job. Dr. Conde pointed out that
since the minister herself is a doctor, she is fully aware of
the issues they face.

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INTERNAL UNION DISSENT
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8. (SBU) Dr. Conde also shared some insights into the actual

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negotiations between FSPDS and the government. He said that
the union sent six representatives to negotiate, but gave
explicit instructions that the representatives should report
back to the broader union membership before formalizing any
agreements. Visibly agitated, Dr. Conde described how the
representatives turned off their phones and refused to talk
to other union members during the negotiations.


9. (SBU) Frustrated by the lack of communication, Dr. Conde
said he went to the where the negotiations were taking place
and offered to relay messages back to headquarters. The
FSPDS Deputy Secretary General reportedly told Dr. Conde that
they did not need to answer to the larger group, likening the
situation to that of "parents having to get permission from
their own children." Convinced that corruption was behind
the apparent lack of cohesion, Dr. Conde said that "certain
union members have been sold." He pointed out that when he
went to the negotiations, he saw the new Secretary General of
the Presidency, Alpha Ibrahima Keira, there and that Keira
came in and swept up all the documents saying that he would
take them and consult directly with the president. Dr. Conde
saw Keira's participation as inappropriate and suggestive of
dishonest dealings behind the scenes.

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COMMENT
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10. (SBU) The unionized health workers are following in the
footsteps of the teachers' unions, the police, and the
military as various groups continue to make financial demands
on the government. As with their teacher colleagues, FSPDS
does not appear to have won much from the GoG except for
promises of future payments and continued negotiations.
However, the strike was legal, relatively successful, and the
GoG responded quickly. Similar demands from other groups in
the months ahead are likely as various organizations look to
advance specialized interests. The fact that various unions
are acting independently underscores the lack of unity within
Unions-Intersyndicale, the broader coalition of unions that
was responsible for pushing for reform in early 2007 and
installing the consensus government under former Prime
Minister Kouyate. END COMMENT.
BROKENSHIRE