Guinea gets back to work after deal suspends strike
Source: Reuters
By Saliou Samb CONAKRY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Guinea security forces scaled back their presence in the capital and shops reopened on Sunday after unions reached a deal to end an 18-day general strike in the world's top bauxite exporter. At least 60 people were killed during the strike in street clashes between security forces and protesters opposing ageing authoritarian President Lansana Conte, rights campaigners say. Conte agreed to appoint a consensus prime minister with delegated powers to name a new government under a deal signed late on Saturday which also cut prices of fuel and rice in the impoverished West African state. After a local deal between management and unions, mining resumed on Saturday at national bauxite company CBG, the world's top exporter of the aluminium ore and a major source of government revenue, where the general strike had halted exports. "I think it's a good deal. The government had its back to the wall and knows it mustn't play around with the country's future. They know full well that if they delay, people will take to the streets and start breaking things again," said Seydouba Keita, a resident of the Dixinn suburb of the capital Conakry. Union leaders warned the general strike was only suspended and could resume if the deal were not honoured. "We are satisfied but we remain vigilant. If the government does not respect its commitments, there is no doubt that we are ready to resume the strike immediately," said Boubacar Biro Barry, one of the union leaders who organised the strike. NEW PREMIER EXPECTED WITHIN DAYS The strike was launched on Jan. 10 to challenge the 23-year rule of Conte, a reclusive, chain-smoking diabetic in his 70s whom union leaders said was no longer fit to run the country. Saturday's agreement, signed by the head of the Supreme Court and the National Assembly as well as union leaders and a representative of business leaders, formalised the appointment of a new consensus prime minister to take over the day-to-day operations of government. Strike leaders have insisted the government propose an acceptable candidate to fill the post in the coming days. "We are not going to get involved in the choice of prime minister, but we will continue to play our role as a counterbalance until the situation is completely resolved," said union negotiator Ousmane Souare. The deal committed the government to prosecuting corruption, particularly two former Conte allies the president personally intervened to free from prison last month. It also demanded all assets of foreign mining companies operating in Guinea -- which include U.S. aluminium giant Alcoa <AA.N>, Canada's Alcan <AL.TO> and Russia's RUSAL -- should be domiciled in the country, although it said this point would be negotiated with the future premier.
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