RTS Senegal: Company Agreement Suspension Sparks Union Protest

• RTS workers in Senegal protested the unilateral suspension of their new company agreement, which occurred months after Director General Pape Alé Niang took office.
• The inter-union, including Synpics and Synpap, demands the immediate lifting of the suspension and warns of a potential strike and boycott of Youth Olympic Games coverage.
• Union representatives report that employees are facing increased debt and precarity due to the reversion to a 2015 framework agreement.
• The National Union of Autonomous Unions of Senegal (Unsas) affirmed that a duly negotiated accord d'entreprise cannot be suspended unilaterally, emphasizing social dialogue as a legal requirement.
• Civil society groups and other union leaders have called on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other state authorities to intervene and resolve the escalating labor dispute.

A duly negotiated and signed company agreement cannot be unilaterally suspended, as its execution imposes mutual obligations on all parties involved.

Workers at Senegal's national public broadcaster, RTS, staged a significant demonstration yesterday, marching from the Post Médina roundabout to the company's headquarters. The protest, spearheaded by an inter-union coalition including Synpics and Synpap, aimed to challenge the unilateral suspension of a newly implemented company agreement. This decision, which has plunged the institution into crisis, was enacted just months after Pape Alé Niang assumed the role of Director General.

The inter-union has vowed to persist in their demands, with Youssouph Kaba, Secretary General of the Synpics section at RTS, stating that agents will not relent until their grievances are addressed. He warned that if their demands remain unfulfilled following the expiration of a pre-strike notice, they are prepared to escalate their actions in accordance with Senegalese labor law. This includes the potential for a boycott of coverage for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, signaling a serious Synpics RTS strike threat.

Aliou Badara Kane, another unionist, highlighted the severe financial strain now facing RTS employees, many of whom are burdened by debt. He noted that the suspension has effectively reverted workers to the conditions of a 2015 framework agreement, exacerbating their precarity. This situation underscores the critical nature of the RTS Senegal company agreement suspension and its direct impact on livelihoods.

The legality of the RTS Senegal company agreement suspension has been strongly contested by national labor organizations. Mme Yvette Keïta, Secretary General of the National Union of Autonomous Unions of Senegal (Unsas), emphasized that a duly negotiated and signed company agreement cannot be unilaterally suspended, as its execution imposes mutual obligations on all parties involved. She firmly asserted that social dialogue is not merely a favor granted to employees but a fundamental requirement of social democracy, directly challenging the company's actions regarding the accord d'entreprise Sénégal.

The escalating Senegal labor dispute RTS has garnered widespread support from various civil society organizations and other union leaders, including the Front social pour la défense des travailleurs. Élimane Diouf, Secretary General of the Csa, has publicly called upon President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to intervene and facilitate a resolution to the crisis. Similarly, Babacar Bâ of the Forum du justiciable urged the highest state authorities to act swiftly to prevent the public broadcaster from further decline. Moustapha Cissé, another Synpics Secretary General, stressed that the implications of this dispute extend far beyond the confines of the public company itself, highlighting the broader significance of upholding labor agreements.

This case highlights the legal risks associated with the unilateral suspension of a duly negotiated company agreement in Senegal. Lawyers should advise clients on the enforceability of such agreements and the potential for significant labor disputes and legal challenges if proper amendment or termination procedures are not followed, especially concerning social dialogue obligations.

Source: Original reporting via Le Quotidien