VZCZCXRO9284
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0735 3401000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051000Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3189
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

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. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶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