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Gambia: Trade Unions Call for 300 Percent Pay Rise

The Gambia National Trade Union Congress (GNTUC) in this year's Workers' Day resolution has recommended to the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment a general salary increase of 300% across the board to all categories of workers which they say will be at par with the consumer price index.

According to GNTUC prices on commodities are sky rocketing daily, making very few employees to meet the basic necessities of life and salaries have not increased by the same rate or percentage.

The Trade Union has also recommended to President Yahya Jammeh to consider workers representation in the National Assembly, the councils and the rent tribunal as a manifestation of workers participation in the decentralization process.

The union also called on the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment to convene a meeting of the tripartite structure to look into minimum terms and conditions of work to suit the needs and aspirations of the workers, employers and the government.

Recommendation for the Agriculture Department called for assistance to women for adequate water supply; marketing, preservation and storage facilities; and fishing and canning factories to manufacture and export their products.

On the public debt servicing, the trade unions called for cancellation of the debts of low income countries that respect basic human and workers' rights. They also called for dialogue between trade unions and the Bretton Woods Institutions in their surveillance of member countries' macroeconomic policies.

The Union also said that there is a need to expand the scope of social security and social protection to include unemployment; old age, invalidity, survivor and family benefit and medical care.

They have urged the local government councils to improve the condition of their cleansing service workers.

Since The Gambia became a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), they said, the country has never been represented in the ILO June Conference. They have therefore called for the allocation of a budget for a tripartite delegation to attend the conference.

Unionists also argued that since the Labour Act 1990 was reviewed in 2002 to suit the present needs and aspirations of workers, employers and the nation at large, it is yet to be an act of parliament.

They also called for the compulsory membership of drivers into the new Gamstar Insurance Scheme as death, disability or incapacity of drivers, who are not covered by the motor third party scheme, can cause a serious loss indeed to their dependants.

The GNTUC also called on President Jammeh and other stakeholders to assist in rebuilding Edward Francis Small's Statue at the Gamtel roundabout in Banjul inorder to keep his legacy.

In a statement issued by The Gambia Workers' Confederation. (GWC), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), each and every person has a right to decent work and a decent life. "For the vast millions to whom these rights are but an aspiration; it is through the determination and collective will of trade unions that this aspiration can become a reality; and for those who today enjoy these rights in their daily lives, it is through their unions that they will be defended and maintained," the ITUC and GWC release stated.