Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Côte d'Ivoire (Ratification: 1960)

The Committee takes notes of the Government’s report.

It also notes the comments of 10 August 2006 by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) concerning the application of the Convention. The Committee notes that, according to the ICFTU, since the armed insurrection of 2002 Côte d’Ivoire has been in a state of chaos and those in power are using armed bands to repress demonstrations and attack farm workers; for example, the police used violence to break up a demonstration of public employees organized by the National Union of Public Finance Workers (SINAFIG) on 27 September 2005 to call for the payment of arrears in their entitlements. The Committee expresses its concern at the seriousness of these allegations and points out that there can be a genuinely free and independent trade union movement only in an environment in which basic human rights are observed (see 1994 General Survey on freedom of association and collective bargaining, paragraph 26). In these circumstances, the Committee requests the Government to take steps to ensure that the right to demonstrate may be freely exercised in Côte d’Ivoire and to send its observations on the ICFTU’s comments with its next report.