Faced with the national crisis, Massogui Thiandoume warns of the imperative for a social awakening

With labor unions declaring three days of general strike on October 21, 22 and 23, tensions have reached a critical level throughout the country. A resident of Niangal in the commune of Yène paints an uncompromising picture of the situation and raises the alarm about what he calls a "historic deadlock".

The observer does not mince words when describing the gravity of the moment: "The social climate in Senegal has never been so tense in a long time." After an initial warning during the summer, the discontent resulted in a national march on October 20, a prelude to a nationwide work stoppage led by the Trade Union Front for the Defense of Labor (FSDT).

Anger is now spreading to all vital sectors of the country. In education, teachers in the G7 region have decided on a total strike even though the school year has barely begun. In the energy sector, SENELEC employees, represented by the SUTELEC union, are joining the movement at the very moment when " power outages have returned to haunt homes for several weeks."

The health sector is also under pressure with the increase in autonomous walkouts, while bakers are demanding an increase in the price of baguettes.

Faced with this groundswell, continues Mr. Thiandoume, the State is trying to defuse the crisis through meetings of the steering committee of the National Social Stability Pact, the request for a three-month moratorium or collective media appearances by ministers.

But these initiatives remain powerless to restore the broken climate of trust between actors in the world of work and the Executive branch.

However, Massogui Thiandoume refuses to condemn the strikers. For him, the right to strike remains a major democratic achievement enshrined in the Constitution. "Unions are not enemies of the Nation. They are, more often than not, the sentinels that remind the State of its commitments," he firmly asserts.

The unease is based on real and deep-seated reasons: memoranda of understanding signed with teachers and which have remained a dead letter since 2018, deteriorating working conditions in hospitals, waves of dismissals perceived as abusive and purchasing power eroded daily by the inflation of rice, oil and rents.

The analysis points to the direct responsibility of public authorities in this deadlock, because "a commitment from the State, once signed, is not a campaign promise: it is a pledge that commits the continuity of the Republic." The repeated breaking of promises thus constitutes the primary source of distrust.

However, the most bitter observation made by the resident of Niangal concerns the human impact of this institutional confrontation. He recalls a reality often forgotten by those in power: "In a power struggle between the State and the unions, it is neither the ministers nor the union leaders who suffer the most. It is the people."

"When classrooms empty, it is students from modest families who permanently lose crucial learning hours for their future," he laments.

Massogui continued: "When the power grid falters, it is small shopkeepers, artisans, tailors, and welders who see their businesses grind to a halt and their incomes vanish. In healthcare facilities operating at reduced capacity, waiting becomes a life-threatening situation for patients and pregnant women, as each day of power outage can result in human tragedies. Finally, the closure of bakeries plunges fathers and mothers into the daily anguish of feeding their families."

Faced with this impasse, Massogui Thiandoume makes a twofold appeal for reason. Addressing union leaders, he emphasizes that strikes must remain the last resort to prevent public opinion from turning against the workers' cause. He urges them to establish an effective minimum service in the vital health and energy sectors and to engage in dialogue without unreasonable preconditions.

He calls on the government to move beyond last-minute crisis management and establish ongoing, sincere, and transparent dialogue. He advocates for the publication of a realistic timetable for finalizing past agreements and the collaborative development of labor code reforms with social partners.

By appealing to the wisdom of historical figures and the traditional values of consultation embodied by the Wolof maxim "Nit nittay garabam" ("man is the remedy for man"), the author expresses a wish for the future of the country: " The remedy for the crisis that Senegal is going through will come neither from the outside nor from power struggles: it will come from ourselves, from our ability to listen to each other and to reach out to one another."