The Sudanese Trade Unions Front (STUF) has taken a decisive step by lodging a formal complaint with the International Labor Organization (ILO), strongly asserting that the government of Sudan has failed to uphold its responsibility of paying civil servants’ salaries since the inception of the conflict on April 15.
The conflict, erupting in the capital city of Khartoum, involved a clash between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
In a compelling statement shared with Radio Tamazuj on Friday, the Trade Unions Front drew attention to an additional grievance, asserting that a multitude of private sector enterprises have unscrupulously terminated their workforce without providing due compensation.
In the words of the STUF’s statement, “We call upon the International Labor Organization, in the name of the workers of Sudan, to intervene and demand from the de facto government of Sudan to adhere to its obligations towards the worker, in accordance with Article 24 of the ILO Constitution. And we call upon the Organization to stand in solidarity with the Sudanese workers in condemning the disgraced actions of the government and many of the private sector corporations and to launch an international campaign in solidarity with the workers in Sudan in defense of their right to wages.
The message, directed to the Director General of the International Labor Organization, represents the culmination of the STUF’s efforts to galvanize support for the beleaguered Sudanese workers and confront the government’s neglect.
Sami Elbagir, an integral member of the Sudanese Trade Unions Front, communicated the rationale behind this pivotal move in an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Friday. Elbagir articulated, “This is a first step to pressure the government and the private sector to fulfil their obligations toward the workers. Salaries are the basic rights of every worker and should not be prevented from receiving it in any situation.”
Furthermore, Elbagir elaborated on the dire circumstances faced by civil service workers, elucidating that their present predicament severely impedes their capacity to sustain themselves and their families. “The government and most of the private sector companies have stopped paying the salaries of the workers for four months now. This has catastrophic effects on the workers and their families,” voiced Elbagir.
The Sudanese Trade Unions Front, an assemblage of elected trade unions including the Union of Journalists, Doctors Trade Union, Dramatists Syndicate, and the Teachers Committee, has rallied under a shared banner to highlight the inexcusable deprivation faced by workers in the aftermath of the Sudanese conflict. With their resolute complaint to the ILO, the STUF endeavours to restore the basic rights of workers and demand accountability from the entities responsible.