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12 December, 2005
French utilities, construction and telecommunications company Bouygues is taking revenge on ICEM Cote d’Ivoire affiliate SYNASEG, the country’s electric and gas trade union.
Prior to a 15-year Bouygues contract for management of water and electric supplies that expired earlier this year, the government announced plans to repatriate the utilities as national entities. SYNASEG publicly supported such a move. But then the government reversed itself and granted Bouygues another 15-year contract.
The company has now retaliated against SYNASEG by refusing to honour check off procedures over union dues. In September, Bouygues neglected to deduct dues from workers’ pay checks and, in October and November, it did make the deductions but refused to forward the funds to SYNASEG.