AIBD SA: The STDS-SYNATRACS inter-union group denounces and announces a strike notice

"For two years now, there have been dialogues, commissions here, committees there, conclaves, all ending up in drawers. Not a single problem has been resolved. First and foremost, there's the unequal treatment. At AIBD SA, for the same position, the same job, there are two different compensation systems, with salaries ranging from one to five times the amount." These remarks by the AIBD staff representative, Papa Mamadou Dia, clearly demonstrate the toxic atmosphere within the organization.

After two years of dialogue and negotiations deemed unsuccessful, the STDS-SYNATRACS inter-union group intends to file a strike notice and is giving the General Management until the end of September to provide concrete answers.

Indeed, union members are denouncing unequal treatment, difficulties related to medical coverage, the blocking of staff representative elections, and a lack of transparency regarding several strategic projects at AIBD SA. The workers believe they have exhausted all avenues for dialogue.

For the Secretary General of the Union of Democratic Workers of Senegal (STDS), Djibril Sène, and the staff representative Papa Mamadou Dia, the discussions did not resolve the main difficulties faced by the workers.

"We have engaged in dialogue, we have negotiated, we have waited. Today, we are taking action," summarizes the inter-union group, which has decided to enter a new phase of the union struggle with the filing of a strike notice.

Two agreements and pay gaps denounced

At the heart of the demands is the issue of harmonizing working conditions. Five years after the merger that created AIBD SA, two collective bargaining agreements continue to coexist within the company.

According to the staff representative, this situation leads to significant differences in salaries, allowances, status, and supplementary pensions. For the same position and the same work, the pay gaps could, according to them, range from one to five times the normal amount.

The inter-union group is therefore demanding the harmonization of basic salaries, the generalization of supplementary retirement to all staff and a correction of the treatment reserved for agents assigned to Ziguinchor.

The unions are also demanding anonymized, data-driven simulations to accurately measure the disparities between different categories of workers. They want these measures implemented before the end of September. The other point of contention remains the election of employee representatives.

The inter-union group points out that no elections have been held since 2018 and that the mandate of the previous representatives expired in 2021.

The unions assert that, despite the steps taken and the intervention of the Labor Inspectorate, the electoral process remains stalled. They cite, in particular, a formal notice sent to AIBD SA on August 3, 2026, the seventeen-day deadline for which has expired without the elections being held. For the unions, this situation cannot continue.

They demand that elections be held quickly to allow workers to choose their representatives in a regular manner.

SAAR's medical coverage is heavily criticized

Healthcare is also a major source of discontent. The inter-union group denounces the shortcomings it attributes to the insurance coverage provided by SAAR Assurances. The unions assert that workers are experiencing difficulties accessing healthcare and that some employees in Diass are now being referred to external providers for consultations that cost them money.

The unions find this situation all the more incomprehensible given that AIBD SA has its own medical staff.

The inter-union group is therefore calling for an audit of the procedure that led to the choice and renewal of the insurance contract, as well as a review of the system in favour of coverage considered to be more suited to the needs of workers and their families.

Contract cancellations raise questions

The employment policy implemented since 2024 is also under scrutiny from the unions. The inter-union group asserts that over 200 temporary and contract workers have been laid off, while some sectors continue to experience staff shortages and new recruitment is being carried out simultaneously. They are demanding a transparent recruitment policy based on the company's actual needs, skills, experience, and merit.

The unions are also questioning the use of paid interns while experienced agents have reportedly been sidelined.

Air traffic controllers and firefighters: situations deemed worrying

The inter-union group also highlights the case of seven air traffic controllers trained at AIMAC who have completed their training since 2024.

According to the unions, these agents have still not obtained their diplomas due to the non-payment of training fees by AIBD SA, which is preventing them from starting work and obtaining their licenses.

The case of five airport firefighters is also mentioned. Having completed their training and fixed-term contracts, they are reportedly now without pay and without a clear decision regarding their permanent employment.

For the unions, it is incomprehensible that workers trained to meet the company's needs remain without prospects when staffing difficulties are regularly mentioned.

The possibility of a redundancy plan is also a concern for employee representatives. The joint union committee states that the CEO regularly mentions this prospect, even as new hires are reportedly being made.

The unions warn that any potential social plan cannot, in their view, be used as a tool for settling scores.

They also demand respect for the commitments made to the people impacted by the airport construction project, to whom a memorandum of understanding would have guaranteed employment within AIBD SA.

Are strategic projects at a standstill?

The inter-union group is also questioning the future of several structuring projects linked to the development of the airport sector.

“Regarding the regional airports, Ourossogui, Kédougou, Saint-Louis, Yoff, these are projects that are at a standstill while they want to finance an emergency medical center, a solar field, an advertising agency unrelated to our missions despite the refocusing requested by the authorities. Many of our benefits have been unilaterally removed and must be returned to us,” denounces Papa Mamadou Dia.

For the unions, AIBD SA must find a clear strategy and refocus on its essential missions.

Another sensitive issue raised by the union representatives was the financial relationship between AIBD SA and Air Senegal.

The unions denounce the difficulties related to the payment of royalties owed by the airline and are simultaneously concerned about the projects announced around Air Senegal, particularly in maintenance, training and ground handling assistance.

Hence the question publicly raised by the inter-union group: "Are we stripping AIBD SA bare to clothe Air Senegal?"

The unions are demanding explanations on the State's overall strategy in the aviation sector and on the role reserved for AIBD SA.

The trade unions are demanding written answers and a precise timetable on their main demands, with a deadline set for the end of September 2026. They maintain, however, that a social confrontation remains avoidable if the General Management and the supervisory authorities take concrete measures quickly.

"Salaries, pensions, Ziguinchor, everything must be done before the end of September," the union members warned.