Chabane Mohamed, delivering his speech
This Monday of May 1st, 2017 was partly
sunny in Moroni, the capital city of the Comoros. Workers from different
private companies and some public agents were marching about one mile from
Karthala Place to the Independence Place. The police were there to regulate the
traffic and protect them in case of riot.
This year’s slogan ‘‘emergence means respecting the
labor law’’ was written on the Comorian Union Workers known as CTC (Confédération
des Travailleurs Comoriens) flags. ‘’We are glad to let you know that our
security and health in our work place are guaranteed at 90%’’, said Dr. Mas,
the delegate of Moroni Terminal Union employees who work in the port of Moroni.
Delicious
irony
Moroni Terminal is a subsidiary under ownership of a
parent French company run by Bolloré Holdings. It is the second organization
that signs a collective agreement implementing the Comorian labor law.
Mutsamudu Port was the first public company located in Ndzuwani to sign a
similar agreement. According to Salim
Suleiman, secretary general of CTC, Mutsamudu port employees fall into 9 months
wage arrears. So, he urges the island authorities to promptly find a solution
to this problem. Chabane
Mohamed is the Teacher’s Union national secretary. In his address, he
summarizes the problems the civil servants face. ‘‘Public service law
stipulates that state employees should have a rise every two years,
unfortunately theirs salaries have been frozen since 1994. It’s unbearable!
Meanwhile, the government has increased its ministers ‘wages. Shame on you! ’’ Chabane
also criticizes the Comorian Employers’ Federation for not accepting a minimum
wage of 60,000KMF ($120) in the country. He concludes by ironizing the
president’s slogan ‘‘a young, a job’’ which has become ‘‘a young, a jobless.’’
Equal
work, equal pension plan
Fatima Maoulida, were talking on behalf of the women
workers. She noted that when a man passes away, his wife receives a pension;
but when a woman dies, her husband has nothing. Thus, she urges the government
to repeal that law dated the 1960s.
CTC
activities
According to Suleiman, many things have been done in
one year for his organization. He gave the examples of many workshops and
seminars held in Mwali, Ndzuwani and Ngazidja to train the Union members and
leaders on security, health and management. ‘‘About 90 Union members have been
trained and other workshops are under way to train 32 Union leaders on how to
manage a Trade Union organization,’’ he stated.
Contributing writer
Chami Mouzawar
