Ivory Coast: customs and tax officers strike

Tax officers and customs officers launched strikes this week to demand payment of bonuses.

Submitted by jef costello on July 13, 2007

The customs officers' strike was in relation to unpaid quarterly bonuses. The planned 42-hour strike began on Wednesday in spite of assurance given by the Director General, Gnamien Konan, that bonuses would be paid in full by Thursday morning.

Workers decided to go through with the strike to send a message to management, although they ended the strike early traffic was still disrupted yesterday.

The tax officers have launched a 72-hour strike after talks with the minister of commerce, Youssouf Soumahoro, failed yesterday. After seven hours of negotiations Anéhoua Jules, the secretary general of the union (SYNAP-CI) declared that while the minister had recognised their demands as fair he had not given assurances that they would be met.

Workers are currently being ballotted for an unlimited strike.

Workers have demanded that bonuses from 2006 be paid in full and that bonuses accrued in the first half of this year be paid, the minister has agreed to do so, although given not assurances as to when.

Workers also demanded that the FRI (import registry) be incorporated into the ministry and that internal promotions would be made a priority.

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