Staff on the "Small suburban train'' which connects Dakar to its suburbs from Monday, intend to undertake a 'sit down protest' accompanied by wearing red arm-bands all week, it has been learned from an authorised source. These actions are likely to cause delays to the traffic on this line. The workers want to force their employer to implement the agreement on staffing levels concluded 4 years ago with the workers, said the same source.

Abdou Khadre Diaeylani Diop, trade union communications and press relations officer for the workers of the "Small suburban train'' recalled that the workers are also demanding implementation, across the company, of the wage increase decided by the government.

The payment of the transport allowances, frozen since 2003 by the general management of the company, also appears in the workers' demands.

According to him, an all out strike stopping the trains cannot be ruled out, if the general management of the "Small suburban train'' does not meet the workers' demands.

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Senegal: Small suburban train - the workers maintain the pressure

All Africa.com: August 21, 2007
Ndiaye tinder/Wal Fadjri (Dakar)

In order to win a transport allowance and a wage increase, the workers of the Small suburban train do not intend to retreat before any obstacle. Yesterday, they proved it, raising red arm-bands throughout a sit-in at Dakar station. And it will continue all week.

The workers of the Small Suburban Train (Petit train blue - 'Little Blue Train') are increasing the pressure: they decided, from yesterday, to hold a sit-in at Dakar station and a go-slow each day, from 12 to 3 p.m.

Raising red arm-bands, the railwaymen are ready to unstitch some with their direction, which with believing about it, refuses to increase their wages and to pay the transport allowance. After their meeting with the press the week spent to draw the bell from alarm on possible disturbances which the small train could know, the workers posed another act within the framework of their action plan. While taking care not to reveal the contents of this plan, the railwaymen promise nevertheless the unpleasant surprised ones.

“It is obvious that the stopping of the train is to be envisaged in the days to come if the authorities continue to neglect our claims”, plague in charge one of the communication of the Trade union of the workers of the Small suburban train, Abdoul Khadre Diop. According to this last, the train will run to the idle this week. What is likely to appear on all the levels of its course.

Indeed, so drivers, pointsmen, controllers and counter clerks observe a deceleration of their work, it is certain that the passengers will note several slownesses before arriving at destination. What can be avoided according to Mr. Diop “if the direction of the Small suburban train returns to better feelings”.

In charge one of the communication to reconsider the deceleration of work for saying that it will not consist with a sabotage but rather to put an end to all the sacrifices which the railwaymen authorized. Sometimes “It is able to the counter clerks to draw the tickets up to 2 a.m. from the morning and to total 5 a.m. to finish work with 11h30 mn. That will not be done any more because they will come from now on to 5h the morning only to do their work”, informs Abdoul Khadre Diop.

The next week if nothing is done, the railwaymen promise other actions, this “more muscular” time.

For recall, the workers of Ptb run, since October 2003, behind the granting of and a wage increase transport allowance issued by the State since 2004. The transport allowance to them had however been restored consequently direction of Ptb into 2003 which stopped it two months later.

In spite of that, the direction of Ptb camps on its decision since then: for it, one cannot profit at the same time from a housing and a transport allowance. Only, in the place of “housing”, the railwaymen prefer speech of “dormitory because it is rooms in which one sleeps to four sometimes”, they informed.

On the wage increase, the director of Ptb remained also inflexible on his positions, estimating to be able to pay an increase for which it does not have decree of application.