Rural development workers in Niger continue strike action for pay equity

Unions of rural development workers in Niger, representing public employees in agricultural research and engineering, agronomists and water resource specialists have announced a 5-day strike for November 3-7 as they continue to fight for essential benefits and pay equity with other public sector workers denied them since 2008.  

Since August, the unions have been holding rolling strikes, refusing to release technical information and organizing public meetings in rural and urban areas in the face of the government’s refusal to concede increases given other government workers since 2008. The housing, water, electricity and risk benefits, an important part of remuneration in one of the world’s poorest countries, remain at less than half the rate for other government employees.

Two of the five unions – SNAAN and SUPRA, representing agricultural technicians and agronomists, respectively – are affiliated to the IUF, which has communicated its solidarity and saluted the workers’ determination.