Madar (Dakar) - A 72-hour general strike called by the Union Front for the Defence of Labour (FSDT), which groups 13 unions in education, health, justice and transport, began in Senegal on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and is due to run until Friday, according to RFI's correspondent in Dakar.
Public transport came to a standstill in the capital, with buses of the national company Dakar Dem Dikk staying in the depot and no drivers on the road. At the Abass Ndao public hospital, only a minimum emergency service was maintained and all operations were rescheduled. At a public school visited by RFI, however, there was no major disruption at the time.
The government has called the strike "illicit", urged workers to abandon it and warned of pay deductions. It also called on unions to show patriotism ahead of the Youth Olympic Games, which Dakar hosts in ten days. The government had warned of disciplinary sanctions ahead of the strike.
On Tuesday, the governor of Dakar announced the requisition of hundreds of staff at the power utility Senelec, which is also covered by the strike call. The measure is provided for by law, but the company's union called it abusive because it targets non-essential posts. The unions denounce what they describe as pressure and intimidation, and are demanding payment of a housing allowance, a revision of the new Labour Code and measures against the high cost of living.
