After four years without a May Day parade because of Covid-19 among other strategic reasons, Senegal has organised a rally for Labour Day this year. This will be President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's first interface with trade unions.
The unions are marching towards Independence Square in the centre of the capital, Dakar.
There, they plan to submit a list of grievances to the president with a list of demands, hoping that social dialogue will be more fluid than in the past.
Cost of living
The principle issue is inflation and the cost of living.
On this point, the unions agree and are awaiting concessions.
The National Confederation of Workers of Senegal (CNTS) is the biggest trade union in Senegal.
"The authorities are very aware of this now, and, since they have just arrived, we do not expect that all the issues will be resolved right away,” Mody Guiro, its general secretary of told RFI.
President Diomaye Faye had previously promised to offer a plan to combat the high cost of living and measures to lower prices before 15 May.
Pay inequity
The second issue for unions is pay. Many unions denounce the inequality in salary between the different state agents, which consist of about 175,000 people in total.
Aujourd'hui, nous célébrons les femmes et les hommes qui se lèvent chaque jour avant l'aube pour nous offrir le fruit de la mer.
— CAOPA Afrique (@AfriqueCaopa) May 1, 2024
Bonne fête du travail aux héros de la pêche artisanale africaine !
Votre engagement et votre passion nous inspirent. pic.twitter.com/E3FPwxxPKc
Amidou Diedhiou is the secretary general of the Free Teachers' Union of Senegal (SELS), the main union of primary schools.
"There is an urgent need to resolve this inequality," he said.
“Education unions had already raised the question of the remuneration system in 2018.
"The level of injustice is great and this is why, in our opinion, the State's resources, however meager they may be, must be fairly redistributed."
Unions in crisis?
The unions face disintegration and distance from their base, in Senegal but also in other Sahel countries, Babacar Fall, professor at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar and the Institute of Advanced Studies of Saint-Louis in Senegal.
The general political and social context is one of restriction of freedoms, so unions struggle to be heard.
"The good news is that marches are back on," he told RFI. "And we believe that the new government is more attentive to people's social demands; it's bringing hope, and it is very important for workers."
