US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA342

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IL (MHARPOLE) 
LABOR FOR DOL/ILAB (TFAULKNER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, ECON, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CG 
SUBJECT:  INCREASING UNION ACTIVITY:  PRIVATE SECTOR UNION 
ELECTIONS AND A CIVIL SERVICE CENSUS 
 
1. (U) Summary.  The DRC labor sector is facing two key 
events in 2005:  union elections and a civil census.  Vice 
President Z'ahidi N'goma and the National Labor Council 
authorized labor union leadership elections in April 2004. 
The Ministry of Labor is attempting to organize these 
elections from February-April 2005 with the help of the 
International Labor Organization.  Some union officials 
believe strikes are likely to be used to gain support for 
particular candidates and unions.  Already three strikes, 
though unrelated to the elections, are ongoing. The civil 
service census, even with foreign assistance from South 
Africa, has been slow to start and likely will be slow to 
finish. The GDRC is unlikely to be able to meet any of the 
unions' key demands due to budgetary constraints. End 
summary. 
 
First Union Elections since 2002 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) After receiving authorization from Vice-President 
N'goma and the National Labor Council in April 2004, the 
Ministry of Labor - with International Labor Organization 
assistance - is organizing labor union elections to take 
place from February to April 2005.  This will be the first 
time since 2002 that labor union elections have been held. 
These elections will involve almost all unions - including 
large umbrella unions - and will focus not only on 
individual labor leadership, but also will serve to elect 
the Congolese union and representative to represent the DRC 
at the 2005 International Labor Conference in Geneva, 
Switzerland. 
 
3. (U) Union sources told EconFSN that some unions are 
planning strikes as a way to show their strength and gain 
support before the elections, particularly because of the 
opportunity to elect representatives to the International 
Labor Conference.  Currently, three different strikes not 
connected to labor union elections are underway.  Public 
school teachers, public hospital nurses (septel), and the 
Customs authority (OFIDA) are all striking for increased 
pay. 
 
4.  (U) The Catholic Church and National Episcopal Bishop 
Conference (CENCO) decided in January 2005 to halt the 
requirement that parents pay $50-$150 each semester to 
supplement teachers' salaries in all church-supported 
schools. These payments are called "frais de motivation," or 
motivation payments, and they are a heavy burden on the 
yearly income of the average Congolese. These fees were 
informally imposed on parents during the past 10 years due 
to the government's inability to pay adequate salaries.  The 
GDRC has not committed to covering the "frais de 
motivation," and hence, teachers started to strike Feb 14 to 
influence the government to pay their salaries.  Teachers' 
unions extended their current strike for one week starting 
February 21 to put more pressure on GDRC to commit to pay 
teachers' salaries. 
 
5. (U) DRC's customs authority (OFIDA) notified the Ministry 
of Finance one month ago that they would strike if the GDRC 
did not pay promised performance premiums and implement a 
salary increase by mid-February. The GDRC did not respond, 
prompting OFIDA employees to stop all activities on February 
14. OFIDA officials told econ-FSNs that the Ministry of 
Finance agreed to talks with OFIDA, but formal negotiations 
have not yet commenced and the strike continues. The company 
is providing minimal service to clear only perishable goods 
through customs. 
 
Civil Service Reform 
------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) The GDRC has been trying since 2004 to conduct a 
census of civil servants in order to weed out ghost workers 
and have an accurate number of employees so some can be 
retired and others properly paid. The Secretary General of 
the National Union for Civil Servants (Synafet) told the 
Congolese press that the GDRC last year planned to work with 
Belgium's bilateral aid agency to conduct a civil service 
census.  No progress was made with the Belgians, hence the 
GDRC has approached South Africa for funds and technical 
expertise. The South African government promised 
approximately USD 3 million plus equipment and technical 
assistance. 
 
7. (U) On February 3-5, the South African Minister of Civil 
Service visited Kinshasa to formalize the agreement. The DRC 
Minister of Civil Service told the Congolese press that he 
plans to start the census in February 2005 in Kinshasa 
(where 50 percent of the civil service is located) and 
finish in March. The DRC ministry of civil service hired 964 
census takers and trained them from February 14-16. The 
Minister of Civil Service had announced that the census 
takers could perform a test case of the census at the 
Ministry of Finance, and it began on February 24. 
 
8. (SBU) As of Feb 23, however, a representative of an 
American IT corporation asked by the Ministry of Civil 
Service to work with the South Africans on database 
development for the census told econoff that it is unclear 
when the census will take place. The Minister of Civil 
Service is still debating whether to start the census only 
in Kinshasa or try to branch out into the interior and do 
the entire civil service census in one attempt. 
 
9. (U) A civil service census is needed in part to complete 
salary negotiations, which have been stalled since March 
2004. Union representatives told EconFSN that union leaders 
are uncomfortable with the current pace of reform and 
negotiation. If the census is completed in March, there will 
only be a limited amount of time to negotiate salaries 
before the national elections. Union leaders are worried 
that if negotiations are not finished, they will have to 
start from the beginning with the new government. 
 
Comment 
------------ 
 
12.  (SBU) No matter how often the unions strike, the 
government will not be able to meet their demands. The GDRC 
2005 budget is already under revision with the goal of 
cutting spending, and civil servant salaries are on the 
chopping block. End comment. 
 
MEECE