Objet : Open letter to the President of the RepublicMr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYESon Excellency,
It is with great bitterness and great regret that we look at these lines to express to you all our desolation over the professional and social situation of the 44 agents of the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mines who are ceasing their activities on August 12, 2024.
Your election as head of power has brought many glimmers of hope to Senegalese and Africans, particularly to women and young people looking for work and seeking better living conditions. But this hope seems to become an illusion for the 44 (forty-four) agents of the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mines, arbitrarily and unilaterally placed in cessation of activities by the director of Administration and management of equipment on the instructions of the said Minister.
This measure taken without consultation, dialogue or notice is a flagrant violation of our labor law, our human and constitutional rights, as stipulated in article 25 of the Constitution: “Everyone has the right to work and the right to claim to a job. “No one can be harmed in their work because of their origins, their gender, their opinions, their political choices or their beliefs.”
This administrative measure taken by public authorities on honest citizens is inconceivable and unacceptable for your government which advocates “Jub, Jubbal, Jubbanti”.
In addition to this decision, Mr. President, your administration confiscated our salaries for the months of June, July, August, September 2024 but also our common funds for the months of April, May, June, July, August and September 2024. We count for the moment 185 days without income to provide for the needs of our families. Which is unacceptable in a country governed by the law where social justice should be the thing best shared by and for everyone. We are going through the worst lean times of our lives as dignified, hard-working fathers, mothers and breadwinners. This suspense to which we have been victims for months, weeks and days is worse than the extreme disappointment (arbitrary dismissal) that we do not think is possible in these unjust conditions.
His Excellency, with the production of the first barrel of oil, gas and gold bars that the State of Senegal successfully produces, you have no right to do less than your predecessors in terms of social progress. Which would inevitably lead to an imminent social explosion whose consequences could be fatal and elusive under your authority.
His Excellency, allow us to remind you that we all benefit from indefinite-term contracts in due form signed with the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines which manages under its supervision the first sector generating income over of 700 billion CFA francs. This department must imperatively and truly be the first ministry for the creation and consolidation of jobs already acquired and not a pit of worsening unemployment rate in Senegal for unknown reasons and motives.
Excellency, Mr. President, we are tired. Therefore, we request your arbitration as a keystone of the institutions, guardian of the constitution and person sworn to respect and enforce the laws and regulations of this country in order to put an end to this disastrous and unbearable social situation which continues and destroys all our dreams.
His Excellency, we kindly ask you to instruct the Dage under cover of his supervisory minister to restore our rights on the one hand and on the other hand to settle all unpaid sums owed by the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mines to the 44 agents affected by this cessation of activity.
Finally, Mr. President of the Republic, we dare to hope that our grievances will be heard and resolved as soon as possible in order to allow us to recover our former glory.
Please receive, His Excellency the President of the Republic, the expression of our most patriotic greetings.
PS: It’s back to school soon.
Collective of Agents in Cessation of Activities of the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mines
[email protected]
