Nationwide strike grips Guinea, mining operations disrupted

On February 26, 2024, workers in Guinea initiated a nationwide strike, causing closures of businesses and significant disruptions in the mining sector. Commencing an indefinite general strike marks a crucial challenge for the junta, which took control in 2021, instituting a ban on protests and stifling dissenting voices.

Their demands included:

• Increased wages.
• The removal of internet restrictions.
• The liberation of a detained trade union leader.

The strike ensued a week following the abrupt dissolution of the transitional government, which had been in power since July 2022, by the military junta without explanation. The junta additionally instructed the seizure of government members' passports and froze their bank accounts. In the seaside capital on February 26, 2024, police maintained a subdued presence.

The capital city’s streets, Conakry, were sparsely populated, banks shuttered, and bustling markets eerily deserted. Security personnel were stationed at key intersections throughout the city.

The government, established by a military junta following a coup in 2021, offered no immediate response. Over the past several years, it has forcefully suppressed ongoing anti-government demonstrations, occasionally resorting to violence. An unnamed senior official from a mining company, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of media authorisation, reported that employees had abstained from work, with certain mines only operating at minimal capacity.

Guinea stands as the world's leading producer of bauxite and the world's top exporter of bauxite. Traders have observed a rise in alumina prices in China attributed to the strike; however, the immediate impact remains constrained by ample Chinese bauxite inventories.

Expressing concern, a senior official from another mining firm, speaking anonymously, described the situation as "untenable," with operations at a standstill.

Last week, the Guinean Trade Union Movement declared a general strike through a statement specifying its indefinite nature and encompassing the public, private, and informal sectors.