ECONOMIC; SOCIOLOGICAL - LABOR UNIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700210070-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2002
• Sequence Number: 70
• Publication Date: March 4, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
CENTRALS EfGEFI F),08' REPORT NO.
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY French West Africa
SUBJECT Economic; Sociological - Labor unions
HOW
PUBLISHED Semiweekly newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED Dakar
DATE
PUBLISHED 13 Oct, 1; Nov 1952
LANGUAGE French
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DATE OF
INFORMATION 1952
DATE DIST. *-MA1'1953
NO. OF PAGES 7
SUPPLEMENT TO
RFPnRT N.M.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DAXIiB LABOR CONFERENCE FORMULATES DEMANDS, MAPS FUTURE ACTION -- Dakar, L'AOF,
13 Oct 52
The Conference Interayndicale Africaine (African Interunion Conference)
convened in Dakar in the Labor Exchange Building from 6 to 8 October 1952 to
study labor problems in French West Africa and French Togoland. Present at
this conference were delegates from the following organizations of French West
Africa and French Togoland: The Federation Autonome des Cheminots Africains
(Autonomous Federation of African Railroad Workers), the CFTC (Confederation
Francaise des Travailleurs Chretiens, French Confederation of Christian Workers),
and the COT (Confederation Generale du Travail, General Confederation of Labor).
The agenda of the conference included the following points:
1. Examination of the Labor Code.
2. Study of ways to fight on behalf of the labor movement.
3. Coordination of decisions tc be carried rn[t..
4. Resolutions.
5. Establishment of the Africa and Paris Delegation.
6. Civil service (personnel reduction, decree of 1932, on-the-job accidents).
Delegates came from the following territories and areas (numbers in paren-
thesis refer to the number of delegates): French Guinea (6); Niger (1); Upper
Volta (5); Saint Louis and Mauritania (6); Casamance (1); Louga (1); Kaolack (3);
Thies (7); Dahomey and French Togoland (3); Ivory Coast (2); French Sudan (16);
and Dakar (14).
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1. In view of the fact that the Law of 30 June 1950 (affecting African
civil servants in particular) has not been applied to civil servants in French
Togoland, immediate application of said law to include French Togoland.
2. Payment of the c.pecial 40-percent supplement to all categories of
classified civil servants i.e., to the cadre general (general category), the
cadre superieur (higher Lo-called European cetegory), and the cadre local
(local category), according to the provisions of the Law of 30 Sune 1950.
3. Equality in the distribution of family allotments to all civil servants.
4. Continuation of periodic 6-month leave in France and of the pay differ-
ential to African civil servants who serve outside of their places of reaidenn
and who rank with personnel of the general and hihnr categories, in accordance
with the ministerial air:..:tiva on rinancec issued by the Ministry of French Over-
seas Territories on 21 May 1951.
5. demands for civil service improvements:
a. Granting of leave not later than 3 months after the date of request.
b. Return to the 1948 travel system.
c. Integration of qualified employees into higher categories in accord..
abet with laws and regulations put into effect since their original appointment.
d. Correction of the classification indices of the local category
according to the following schedule:
(1) Unclassified personnel without academic certificates: in-
dices, 125 to 275.
(2) Personnel with technical knowledge who have passed a competi-
tive examination: indices 160 to 350.
(3) Personnel with a study certificate (no competitive examination
required): indices 245 to 470.
(4) Personnel with a study certificate who have passed a competitive
examination: indices 265 to 491,
e. Raising of requirements for the following positions to include
possession of the CEP 15ot identified.7 and passing of a competitive examination:
forest wardens, customs seamen, policemen, firemen, officials of the Department
of Waters and Forests; health inspectors in Senegal and Upper Volta, post-offs^_e
carriers and supervisors, and interpreters in Niger.
f. Raising of requirements for administrative agentb to include possession
of the brevet elemv_ntaire (elementary school certificate) without competitive
examination (classification indices 300 to 540.
6. Demands on behalf of auxiliary workers L"Cozafts, protective, and custodial7
and day laborers employed by the government:
a. Day laborers should be given the status of auxiliary workers and
their seniority taken into consideration.
b. Auxiliary workers with 3 years of service should be integrated into
the local category.
c. Family allowances should be extended to include auxiliary workers.
d. Free transportation for workers on regular leave.
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.7. Measures proposed after examining Circular No DIR-CAB of 9 July 1952
relative to the personnel reduction advocated by the administration:
a. Release of all pensioners employed under contract.
b. Review of all contracts and rescission of all improper contracts
such as the following: (1) contracts covered by i:he UNISYNDI (Union
Interayndicale d'Entreprises et d'industries de l'Afrique Occidentale Francaise
Federation of Unions of Commerci..l and Industrial Workers of French West Africa
Convention; (2) contracts calling for wages equivalent to those of top-bracket
classified workers; and (3) contracts to unmarried women.
c. Release of all administrative workers above the age limit.
d. Designation of a Civil Service Commission to serve as a rs-rme^_ent
arbitration commission rcacrO~:ible fur making decisions on conditions of personnel'
niring, transfers, and discharges; this commission should cosprise represen-
natives of labor unions concerned.
e. Requirement of all government agencies to hire their personnel
(classified, contractual, and aulillary) through said commission.
f. Release of married wcmen whose husbands receive a monthly income
equal to or more than 50,000 Prance.
h. Reduction of luxury expenses for vehicles, refrigerators, furni-
ture, etc.).
Because of its strong desire to see the Labor Code applied in Africa by
1 January 1953 at the latest, the conference decided to wage an all-out attack
on the absence of labor legislation in French Black Africa and to invite workers
and their unions to organize and support their action by appropriate means and
ways of fighting for their demands.
The conference praised the work of the following labor unions for their
united action with respect to the Labor Code: the CGT, the CFTC, the Federation
Autonome des Cheminote Adricains, and the Union Autonome de la Cote d'Ivoire
(Autonomous Workers' Union of the Ivory Coast).
The conference went op record as (1) regretting the refusal of the FO
(Force Ouvriere, Labor Force) to participate in bringing the Labor Code issue
to a head; (2) condemning all those who contributed in any way to sabotaging
passage of the draft of the code (delaying its being voted on by the pnrliameui:ary
assemblies) as enemies of the emarcipatiou of the French overseas peoples and of
the true French Union; (3) paying homage to the nany eiforhs of French and world
trade-unions eila to the territorial and metropolitan movements, parties, aua pro-
gressive parliamentary repreccttatives Tor their hand in the formulation of the
Labor Code and their efforts towards its immediate application; (4) affirming
that, under the present situation, only decisive and unanimous action action by
the African working class is capable of weakening and defeating reactionary oppo-
sition; and (5) asking the unions to maintain and develop, throughout their organi-
zation, their united action to foil the opposition.
As a practical means of action, the conference advocated the widest possible
publicity for its decisions in all labor circles, in particular, and in all strata
of the African population, in general, to develop the consciousness and combative-
ness of the masses. It advocated widening the front of the struggle to all cat-
egories of workers both in private enterprise and In government by working out a
complete program of demands favoring not only their collective action, but also
the total support of the African peoples. It appealed strongly to all African unions
to make Sunday, 26 October 195'', a great Demand Day throughout Black Africa by
organizing meetings, parades, and other forms of collective action.
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The conference father decided that. (1) a 24-hour general strike would
take place Monday 3 November 1952 to protest the delay in the formulation of
the Labor Code; (2) a 72-hour general strike would take place from 12 to 14
January 1953 throughout French West Africa and French Togoland, if the Labor
Code were not promulgated before 5 January 1953; and (3) the political repre-
sentatives of Black Africa and their parties would be invited to seal their
unity of action by giving their full support to the struggle on behalf of the
Labor Code.
The conference designated the members of the COT-CFTC -Federation Autoname
des Cheminoto Africains Coordination Committee to take charge of information
and coordination of the activities related to the workers' struggle, in addition
to its role as permanent representative before public and all other authorities.
In case of necessity, it was decided that. this committee will be ;cnponsible
for making preparations to hold an P,.traorliunry conference of the Territorial
Coordt,...tica Crawultteea. The conference delegates resolved that the text of the
Law of 30 June 1950 does not correspond to the aspirations of the African worker,
especially as regards the following articles:
Article 1 -- This has replaced the concept "worker" with that of "salaried
worker."
Article 6 and 9 -- These adversely affect labor-union freedom.
Article 18 -- This removes the right of unions to buy and sell tools and
products (a right obtained under Article 6 of the Decree of 17 August 1944 an
unions in French West Africa).
Article 35 -- This pertains to the internal regulation of unions.
Article 42 -- This sanctions layoffs.
Article 100 -- This implies abolition of the 40-hour-week concept.
Article 144 -- This infringes on the independence of the Inspection du
Travail (Labor Inspection Office).
In connection with the above articles, the conference demanded'that they
be replaced by the provisions contained in the draft which had been previously
passed by the National Assembly. It also stated that it would support the Over-
seas Territories Commit'te'e proposals regarding the other provisions of the
bill.
The following demands were formulated by the conference in connection With
on-the-job accidents anu occupation:. dioenees.
1. Ab_rog tion of the decree of 2 April 1938 in view of its discriminatory
and racist aspects.
2. Early passage of a law dealing with on-the-job accidents and occupational
diseases in conformity with the spirit of the French Constitution and pertinent
international agreements. This law is intended to compensate for the present
ridiculously low payments made to persons injured on the job or suffering from
occupational diseaars.
3. Adjustment of workers' accident compensation, usi.r;, for the time being
the methods of calculati.n now in force in France.
4. Reopening of all worker's a_,cident-compensation cases settled since the
promulgation of the decree of 2 March 1949.
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5. Prompt attention to occupational disease coverage patterned after the
coverage now in force in France.
KAOLACK LABOR CONFERENCE APPROVES RESOLUTIONS OF DAKAR CONFERENCE -- Dakar,
L'AOF, 4 Nov 52
The CGT, the CFTC and the Cheminots Autonomes (Autonomous Railroad Workers)
of Senegal and Mauritania held a conference at Kaolack on 19 October 1952. The
chairman of the conference was Semake Moreau; the secretary was N'Dao Mamadou
N'Dene.
The conferees examined the report of the Dakar conference of 6-8 October
1952 and approved all its resolutions. They appealed to all union ono-:.i~~~iune
concerned to carry out all recommended -?tic= :. bring about passage of a dem-
ocrAlsn l