Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Senegal (Ratification: 1961)

The Committee notes the Government’s comments in reply to the observations of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) received on 1 September 2015 and 1 September 2018, which address difficulties relating to the development of collective bargaining, and acts of anti-union discrimination in several activity sectors (mail and telephony, health, security and transport) respectively. With regard in particular to the allegations concerning some 30 workers affiliated with the Autonomous Union of Security Agents and Guards (SAGAS) who were dismissed after protesting outside a bank headquarters, the Committee notes that the Government refers only to the necessary intervention of the law enforcement agents to restore public order, without, however, addressing the matter of these workers’ dismissal. Recalling that no worker should be subject to dismissal by reason of union membership for carrying out lawful trade union activities, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the situation of the workers concerned.

Article 4 of the Convention. Promotion and use of collective bargaining. In its previous comments, the Committee encouraged the Government to promote collective bargaining in all sectors of activity. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the annex to the agreement on the merchant navy applicable to the port sector (2015) and the new collective agreement on private education (2017) can be counted along with the previously mentioned collective agreements in the banking sector (2012) and the cleaning sector (2014). The Committee also notes the progress made in bargaining processes in the joint committees for the caretaking, private security, press, and oil and gas industry sectors, and notes that other bargaining processes have been initiated (for the bakery sector, and updating of the national inter-occupational collective agreement). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of collective agreements signed and in force in the country, as well as the sectors concerned and the number of workers covered by these agreements.