General strike protests killings

A general strike called to protest the Sept. 28 killings of over 150 people and the wounding of over 1,200 took place in Guinea on Oct. 12-13. The two-day nationwide strike was called by a confederation of trade unions and brought much of the country to a standstill. (aljazeera.net, Oct. 13) On Sept. 28 in the capital city of Conakry, tens of thousands of people came together in an unauthorized rally to demand that Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, the head of the military junta running the government, not run for president in the upcoming elections. The rally was called by opposition parties, trade unions and community groups.

Sept. 28 was the 51st anniversary of the referendum that saw Guinea, under the leadership of Sekou Touré, reject membership in the French West African Commonwealth, which was a major step in ending direct French colonial rule in West Africa.

According to press reports, the army attacked the demonstration with live fire and bayonets. Opposition parties claimed that 157 people were killed and 1,253 injured, while the government only admitted to 56 people being killed and did not give a number for the wounded. (The Guardian, Sept. 30)

The blatant brutality even brought public condemnation from the U.S. and French imperialists, most notably from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Their real concern in Guinea, however, is the power of its working class and trade union movement.

Guinea, though its people are poor, most surviving on less than $1 a day, has vast mineral wealth. It is the world’s second biggest producer of bauxite, the source of aluminum, and possesses about one-third of the world’s reserves. It is also a major producer of gold.

To combat its growing international isolation, Guinea announced that a Chinese company was going to invest up to $7 billion in its infrastructure. The Chinese government issued a statement Oct. 16 pointing out that this deal was between Guinea and a private Hong Kong company. (Radio Canada Int’l, Oct. 17) In 2007, three successful general strikes against the previous military government defeated its attempt to raise food and fuel prices.

Given the grief and anger that the people in Guinea are feeling, the union movement called for the people “to observe two days of homage, compassion and meditation to express their protest and solidarity” over the Sept. 28 attack.

Yamodou Touré, the secretary general of the National Organization of the Free Unions of Guinea (ONSLG), told Agence France-Presse, “This was an invitation to all the workers of Guinea—public, private and informal—to stay home and pray in memory of those who fell under fire during the massacre of Sept. 28.”

A number of Guinean blogs and Web sites reported that 80 to 90 percent of the people followed the union call throughout the country. Gas stations, banks, schools, markets and government offices were all closed. Taxis were rare and the streets were empty.

The working class made its power felt.