While the 5th bridge of Abidjan, named “Alassane Ouattara Bridge,” was inaugurated in a festive atmosphere on August 12th, tensions quickly emerged. The construction workers responsible for the project went on strike early Monday morning, demanding the payment of their rights.
According to the strikers, each worker should receive a sum of 300,000 CFA francs. Furthermore, they mention a donation of 20 million CFA francs promised by the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara, during the opening ceremony. They claim that this promised donation has not been fulfilled.
One of the workers, wearing a helmet, stated, “For the 467 of us, they promised that each person would receive a sum of 300,000 francs. So that’s what we agreed upon, and we didn’t want to engage in protests anymore because we were truly convinced by the words of our leaders. We were also proud to participate in the construction of our beautiful image.”
The inauguration of the bridge was a moment of pride for these workers. However, the promise of a 20 million CFA francs donation by the President during the ceremony seems to have created expectations. “On the day of the inauguration, the President told us that he had at least 20 million for the workers. (…) But since the 12th, the day of the inauguration, we haven’t received any follow-up,” the worker added in statements reported by 7 Infos.
In response to this situation, the workers’ representative, returning from talks with the employers, intervened, hoping to persuade his colleagues to resume work. “We have asked all our comrades to go back to work since we’ve already been reassured that the 20 million is available. It all depends on us and the list we’ll submit to get paid,” he stated.
The workers’ call for assistance from the relevant authorities and the Ivorian government underscores the importance of communication and honoring commitments in such large-scale projects. Hopefully, this situation will find a swift and favorable resolution for all parties involved.
