Since 2006, six central unions of Togo have negotiated with the government on upgrading the status of civil servants, in other words, of the working conditions and living standards of workers in the public sector, including our branches, the workers of the Ministry of Public Works, Roads Maintenance and Building.
To this day, despite the promises made by the authorities to trade unionists, workers and their unions have not obtained satisfaction of their claims.
On the other hand, workers and their families face tax burdens that are increasing, and higher general cost of living and especially the price hike on commodities of primary necessity.
Faced with the refusal of the government, six central unions Togo, among them trade unions affiliated to the UITBB – Synbarcot and Syntragavo – have declared a 2 days general strike: 21 and 22 January 2013.
The Secretariat of the UITBB speaking on behalf of millions of workers and class oriented unions, members of the World Federation of Trade Unions, expresses full support for the legitimate demands of Togolese workers and conveys militant greetings of solidarity to them and their unions. It is urgent that the working class of the most exploited continent mobilizes on the basis of class interests to intensify the struggle against national and international exploiters, to take over the control of natural resources of the continent so that they are used for the development and economic and social progress of the peoples. The achievements in poverty reduction made in Venezuela thanks to the progressive social and economic policies pursued by the government of President Chavez, breaking with neoliberal policies, show that when natural resources of a country are put to the service of people, they provide for important social progress.
The UITBB declares unwavering support for workers’ struggles on the African continent for the cancellation of the foreign debt, against the destructive programmes imposed by the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union, for the right of African peoples to determine their own future without interference, military or of any other form, by the multinationals and the former colonial powers.
