Users of health facilities are likely to experience difficult situations in the coming days. The Democratic Union of Health and Social Sector Workers (Sdt-3S) is threatening to go on strike from December 4 to 6. Members of the said union say they have not seen any significant progress on their demands. 

The Democratic Union of Health and Social Sector Workers (Sdt-3s) plans to observe a 72-hour general strike on December 4, 5, and 6, 2024. Moreover, an action plan was validated last Sunday, during the meeting of the National Trade Union Council. The unionists report in a document that the “withholding of information” and the “boycott of supervisions” are planned during this protest movement. They also state that “the union does not rule out any action to fight, including boycotting programs or activities that are on the horizon.” According to the Sdt-3s, “the State of Senegal will be solely responsible for all the consequences that will result from its attitude.” 

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Explaining their position, the unionists say they have not seen « any significant progress on the concerns of health and social action workers. » « These include, among other points, compliance with the agreements of May 10, 2022 and December 29, 2023, the generalization of the housing allowance, the finalization of the reclassification process for nurses, state midwives and senior health technicians, the filling of the gap of 15,000 agents in the health and social action sector by a special recruitment of 3,000 agents per year for 5 years, » listed the Sdt-3s in its document. Among the demands, there is also « the rational and efficient use of the resources of the Ministry of Health and Social Action, the competition or profiling of management positions, the increase of subsidies and the definition of criteria for budget allocations of hospitals. »

Still regarding their demands, the unionists believe that « the Minister of Civil Service must ensure the regular convening of the Agreement Monitoring Committee and the effective presence of the other ministerial departments concerned ». In the same vein, they ask him to « proceed with the revision of decree 77-887 on the special status of the framework of health and social action civil servants to adapt them to the different current professions in the health and social action sector ». For them, it is « the only reference in terms of training and certification of diplomas (…) ». The Ministry in charge of Urban Planning and Housing is also expected to respect « the government’s commitments that led to the agreements on the granting of land for residential use in Daaga Kholpa ».

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Furthermore, the National Trade Union Council castigated « the dangerous slope taken by the Minister of Health by favouring one group of bodies to the detriment of other bodies. » According to this organization, this is even having « repercussions on health indicators and on the major risks of not achieving the vision of health coverage. » And to warn: « No group should believe itself to be the alpha and omega of the health system, we must respond to a holistic approach based on ethics and equity. This is what will put an end to the ostracism of a group that perhaps through ignorance intends to claim to be the sole guarantor of a health system that is increasingly expressed in the community with all its diversity (…). Complacency must desert our health system. »

By Dieynaba KANE / dkane@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH