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PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0073/01 0321115
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011115Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0148
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1234

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W DBANKS 
PARIS FOR D'ELIA 
 
E.O.12958:N/A 
TAGS: ELABPGOVBN
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT MOVES TO QUELL LABOR UNREST 
 
REF: 07 COTONOU 772 
 
1.(SBU) Summary: President Yayi and his ministers moved, on January 
29, 2008, to quell mounting labor unrest by meeting many of the 
demands made by striking workers.  The GOB's moves were not met with 
immediate support by Beninese unions.  The teachers' unions, which 
had previously launched a strike on January 7, and the medical 
workers' union, which went on strike on January 22, decided to 
continue their labor actions.  Benin's other unions have threatened 
to call a general strike to express their displeasure with the GOB's 
handling of their demands.  Some observers have raised the 
possibility that the unions are working with political parties 
opposed to President Yayi to foment political discontent. End 
Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Teachers and Medical Workers Strike 
----------------------------------- 
 
2.(U) The teachers' unions went on strike beginning on January 7 
after they complained that the GOB did not fill the commitments it 
made, at the beginning of the academic year, to improve conditions 
and pay.  Those commitments averted a strike in October 2007 
(Reftel).  During the strike teachers work on Mondays and Fridays 
but do not come to work Tuesday through Thursday.  Sources indicate 
varying degrees of adhesion to the teachers' strike.  In the 
departments of Littoral and Atlantique in southern Benin, 70-80 
percent of teachers are not teaching whereas in the Department of 
Oueme, the stronghold of Party for Democratic Renewal (PRD) leader 
Adrien Houngbedji, who is known to oppose President Yayi, close to 
100 percent of teachers are not showing up for work. 
 
3.(U) Medical workers started a similar, 3 day a week strike, on 
January 22.  The medical workers have demanded higher salaries, 
payment of bonuses, and more money to pay for hospital equipment and 
maintenance.  According to union leaders, their frustration stems 
mainly from a perceived lack of GOB resources devoted to improving 
the health system. 
 
-------------- 
Unions Agitate 
-------------- 
 
4.(SBU) On January 22, the five largest and most important workers' 
unions gathered in a public meeting to air their grievance with 
President Yayi's government, which according to them, is not willing 
to improve their working conditions and is preventing them from 
exercising their rights as unions.  They accused the GOB of paying 
the press to silence journalists, because, in their opinion, all the 
major newspapers and radios of the country have sided with the 
government and have been disseminating false information that is 
favorable to the government.  Additionally, the unions complained 
that the GOB was organizing alternate unions, often dubbed 
"patriotic movements" to break up striking unions.  Note: Such a 
movement was organized during the customs officers' strike in early 
January.  End Note. At the end of the meeting the unions stated they 
would launch a nationwide strike, on an undetermined date, to 
paralyze the administration and compel the government to satisfy 
their demands. 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to a high-level source in a union friendly to the 
government, the January 22 meeting was not widely attended and 
several high-ranking customs officers attended the meeting.  The 
same source said it was clear that unions were working with the 
Renaissance du Benin (RB) political party and PRD to stoke popular 
discontent with the government.  Both of these parties are facing 
increasing competition from President Yayi's coalition, the Cowrie 
Force for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), in the upcoming municipal 
elections. 
 
------------ 
GOB Responds 
------------ 
 
6.(U) On January 29, at an unscheduled meeting of the Council of 
Ministers (USG cabinet equivalent), the GOB announced that it would 
satisfy some of the major claims put forward by teachers and health 
sector workers.  The decisions that it took include an increase in 
the teachers' incentive allowance to up to 25 percent of a teacher's 
salary and the payment of salary arrears for teachers and health 
sector workers.  The GOB also stated it would provide funding to 
cover medical equipment related expenses for hospitals. 
Additionally, the GOB stated it would consider ways of putting in 
place a transport allowances scheme for all civil servants.  The 
Council of Ministers announced that the implementation of all these 
measures would state by the second half of 2008 and that the 
measures will be financed by a supplementary 2008 budget request to 
the National Assembly. 
 
COTONOU 00000073  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
7.(U) Following the decisions of the Council of Ministers, union 
leaders met on January 30 and decided to continue with their fight 
because they are not satisfied with the solutions proposed by the 
government.  They went further complaining that they had not been 
involved in the GOB's decision-making process.  They also blamed the 
government for using delaying tactics.  A well informed unionist 
confirmed to Post that the general strike is till on their agenda. 
 
8(SBU) Comment: There is no doubt that President Yayi is seriously 
concerned with the prospect of a general strike that could adversely 
impact Benin's economy and his political standing in the run up to 
President Bush's visit to Benin.  The increasingly bitter political 
battle surrounding the organization of the municipal elections 
appears to be bleeding over into political party involvement in 
unions' actions.  The workers' unions seem, at present, ready to 
continue their fight in spite of the GOB's promises, and the 
situation is shaping up as a trial of strength between the GOB and 
the workers' unions.  President Yayi's skills as a negotiator will 
be tested as he continues to attempt to bring these strikes to an 
end. End Comment. 
 
BROWN.