Trade unions in Guinea


Trade unions in Guinea were historically important - having played a pivotal role in the country's independence movement - and in recent years have again assumed a leading role.

History

Colonial period

In 1945, Sekou Toure founded the first union in Guinea, organizing postal workers, and then in 1946, the Territorial Union of Guinean Trade Unions.
Sekou Touré and Seydou Diallo were among the leaders in the creation of the French West African Confédération générale des travailleurs africains separate from the French union, Confédération Générale du Travail in 1955-6.

Following independence

Trade unions were outlawed in 1961, following a teachers' strike, and legalized again in the 1990s.
In 2006, the unions successfully organized strikes in Conakry, and in early 2007 led nationwide strikes that provoked a harsh government crackdown which resulted in over 100 fatalities.
In October 2009, following shooting and other violence against a political rally in Conakry, the unions organized a successful two-day strike.

Current Unions