Trade unions in the Republic of the Congo

Last updated
Trade unions in the Republic of the Congo
Global Rights Index
3 Regular violations of rights
International Labour Organization
Republic of the Congo is a member of the ILO
Convention ratification
Freedom of Association 1960
Right to Organise 1999

There are four main trade union centers in the Republic of the Congo (Congo). [1]

Contents

Repression

The ITUC ranked the Republic of the Congo a score of 3 on the Global Rights Index in 2024, due its regular repression of trade union leaders including arrests, union busting and restrictions on strikes. [2] [3]

History

Congo was colonized by France as part of the larger French Equatorial Africa until 1960. Trade unions developed during colonialism. After Congo became independent, three trade union confederations formed: [1]

In 1960, leaders of the communist CGAT were arrested for attempting to form a revolutionary party. [1] The first president of Congo, Fulbert Youlou wanted a single trade union confederation that was aligned with his political party. When Youlou declined the trade union confederations' suggestion of a Trade Union Merger Committee as an interim solution, the trade unions organized a 3-day general strike in August 1963, leading to the downfall of the Youlou government. The provisional government of Alphonse Massamba-Débat carried out the original plan, merging the political parties into the MNR and consolidating the confederations into the provisional Congolese Trade Union Confederation (CSC; Confédération Syndicale Congolaise). After Débat was elected president, leaders of CATC and CGAT were given prominent political posts in the MNR party. [4]

Shortly before the inaugural congress of the CSC, CATC dropped out and subsequently was not represented on the executive. The executive consisted of 3 representatives from CGAT, 3 from CCSL, 1 from the civil servant association and 1 from the postal workers' federation. The CATC president was imprisoned and its general secretary went into exile. [4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Blackburn, Daniel; Cross, Ciaran, eds. (2021). Trade Unions of the World (8th ed.). London: International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR). pp. 122–124. ISBN   978-0993355622.
  2. ↑ "2024 ITUC Global Rights Index: The World's Worst Countries for" (PDF). Global Rights Index . International Trade Union Confederation . Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  3. ↑ "Republic of the Congo". ITUC Survey of violations of trade union rights . International Trade Union Confederation . Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. 1 2 Ananaba, Wogu (1979). The Trade Union Movement in Africa: Promise and Performance. pp. 59–60. ISBN   0905838130.
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