BANK WORKER STRIKE PROMPTS 30% INCREASE IN SALARIES

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000735 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PHUM ECON PGOV ASEC SUBJECT: BANK WORKER STRIKE PROMPTS 30% INCREASE IN SALARIES REF: CONAKRY 0708 ¶1. (U) Following its November 14 pre-notification of intent (reftel),Guinean's union of private bank employees launched a nationwide labor strike on December first. By the following day, the union had reached an agreement with bank managers, which included a commitment to increase salaries by 30%. The union had initially requested a 100% increase. Banks were closed on December first in observance of the strike, but began reopening late in the afternoon of December second. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶2. (U) The recently released International Trade Union Confederation Survey for 2008 ranks Guinea as the second worst trade union oppressor in the world (out of 138 countries). The survey period covers the widespread violence associated with the strikes of early 2007. This bank workers' strike is the third strike to take place in Guinea over 2008. In each of these cases, the labor unions carefully followed the letter of law and succeeded in negotiating with employers, usually the government, to reach acceptable agreements that brought the strikes to peaceful ends. END COMMENT. RASPOLIC