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Trade unions in the Republic of the Congo

Trade unions in the Republic of the Congo
Global Rights Index
3 Regular violations of rights
International Labour Organization
Republic of the Congo is a member of the ILO
Convention ratification
Freedom of Association1960
Right to Organise1999

There are four main trade union centers in the Republic of the Congo (Congo).[1]

Repression

The ITUC ranked the Republic of the Congo a score of 3 on the Global Rights Index in 2024, due its regular repression of trade union leaders including arrests, union busting and restrictions on strikes.[2][3]

History

Congo was colonized by France as part of the larger French Equatorial Africa until 1960. Trade unions developed during colonialism. After Congo became independent, three trade union confederations formed:[1]

  • Congolese Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CCSL; Confédération Congolais des Syndicats Libres) – socialist
  • General African Confederation of Workers (CGAT; Confédération Generale Africaine des Travailleurs) – communist
  • African Confederation of Worker Believers (CATC; Catholic Confédération Africaine des Travailleurs Croyants) – Christian

In 1960, leaders of the communist CGAT were arrested for attempting to form a revolutionary party.[1] The first president of Congo, Fulbert Youlou wanted a single trade union confederation that was aligned with his political party. When Youlou declined the trade union confederations' suggestion of a Trade Union Merger Committee as an interim solution, the trade unions organized a 3-day general strike in August 1963, leading to the downfall of the Youlou government. The provisional government of Alphonse Massamba-Débat carried out the original plan, merging the political parties into the MNR and consolidating the confederations into the provisional Congolese Trade Union Confederation (CSC; Confédération Syndicale Congolaise). After Débat was elected president, leaders of CATC and CGAT were given prominent political posts in the MNR party.[4]

Shortly before the inaugural congress of the CSC, CATC dropped out and subsequently was not represented on the executive. The executive consisted of 3 representatives from CGAT, 3 from CCSL, 1 from the civil servant association and 1 from the postal workers' federation. The CATC president was imprisoned and its general secretary went into exile.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Blackburn, Daniel; Cross, Ciaran, eds. (2021). Trade Unions of the World (8th ed.). London: International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR). pp. 122–124. ISBN 978-0993355622.
  2. ^ "2024 ITUC Global Rights Index: The World's Worst Countries for" (PDF). Global Rights Index. International Trade Union Confederation. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  3. ^ "Republic of the Congo". ITUC Survey of violations of trade union rights. International Trade Union Confederation. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. ^ a b Ananaba, Wogu (1979). The Trade Union Movement in Africa: Promise and Performance. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0905838130.
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