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Are Guineans Preparing their Spring? Remuneration and the Justice System
The past few weeks have seen a multiplication of Guineans taking to the streets to demand justice.
In most places of the world, not being paid your due salary for weeks would trigger harsh legal repercussions for the employer. In Guinea, the street cleaners have taken to the protests after three months of back-pay and no success in obtain legal backing for their case. Among President Conde’s first actions as president was to commit himself to ‘cleaning up the city of litter.’ This was a much welcome announcement which resulted in newly created jobs and some clean streets in the busy capital of Conakry.
The street cleaner now however, are claiming 1,500,000 GNF of backpay, about $206 USD. A financial officer at the cleaners agency, IC TRANSPORT Lamine Traore claims that once the government gave them the contract with the current cleaners, they were owed two months salary of October and November 2011 from the SPDT (Public society for the transport of waste).
The cleaners striked last Monday, throwing garbage in center of the capital, Kaloum, primarily as a protest against the minister of Justice, claiming that since April the handing down of court decisions have been suspended by Chief Justice Christian Sow. The national association of street cleaners have suspended their activities until further notice. (1)
Another strike this week was among students at University Julius Nyere in Kankan, the countries second largest university who have not been given their due university living and food stipend by governmental agencies since October. Instructors at the school are quoted to say the lack of stipend payment to students is nothing new. (2)
Then there was action 6 days ago in Kamsar, Guinea’s corporate mining town in the northwest where “hundreds of people, mostly students, poured into the streets in a spontaneous downtown protest to ‘show their frustration’ … throwing stones at official vehicles and public buildings.” (3)
All these events are pointing to a surge in citizen actions demanding just working conditions, respect for promises made during the elections and fairness in business dealings. Given the convergence of all these protests, and the ongoing disfunction in discussions between the Government and opposition groups in setting a date for the legislative elections, we can’t help but wonder if the protests reach a fever pitch? One person has already died in Kamsar. What can we do to ensure more are not killed?
Guinea certainly has its differences with North Africa, but some critical pieces are shared: a young, undereducated and unemployed population, tired of authoritarian rule (inspite of democratic elections, what has changed for the youth?) and a system of remuneration and justice that often cheat people of their rights. While we urge peaceful protest to prevail, we’re concerned that the intersection between these rights violations and the lack of responsiveness of Government authorities and the subsequent recriminations by various parties against the other are creating conditions that far to quickly lead to violence.
If we are to prevent a bloody spring in Guinea, we need to see more from its leaders to ensure rights are respected.
(2) http://www.guineenews.org/