97 months without wages
From Tuesday 21 October at 14:00, the normally bustling counters of Dolisie’s city hall, birth-registry office and sanitation department could fall silent. Municipal workers have voted for an open-ended strike, saying 97 months of unpaid salaries have finally exhausted their patience.
The decision, adopted during a mid-week general assembly inside the Niari regional capital’s main municipal building, marks the most forceful labour action the city has faced in years. Staff members argue that nearly a decade without pay has battered family budgets and community morale alike.
At the heart of their claim is a simple arithmetic: 97 monthly pay slips missing equals more than eight years of wages. Representatives say their grievance file sits in Brazzaville’s government offices, yet repeated reminder letters have not yielded a timetable for disbursement.
Workers vote for an unlimited strike
“Since nothing has moved, every municipal service will close,” warned spokesman Madoua Moussodji after the vote. The room, packed with clerks, street sweepers and administrative technicians, burst into applause at the announcement. Outside, hand-written placards already announced Tuesday’s stoppage to passers-by.
Pierre Kodila, who chairs the workers’ internal Control and Evaluation Commission, used sterner language. “Mayors and secretaries general might as well stay home; enough is enough,” he declared. The phrase quickly circulated on local messaging groups, underscoring the anger that has built up across departments.
Municipal salaries in Congo-Brazzaville come from a mix of local tax revenue and state transfers. In Dolisie, staffers say recurrent cash-flow gaps at municipal level have delayed wage wires year after year, while rent, school fees and medical expenses continued to arrive on schedule.
One employee, speaking softly in Lingala outside the hall, counted on her fingers the birthdays she has marked without a pay cheque. “My eldest should be preparing for the baccalaureate, but I cannot buy notebooks,” she said, asking that her name be withheld.
Workers forwarded a detailed cahier des charges to the Prime Minister months ago, colleagues confirm. A follow-up letter went out recently. Both documents outline arrears, call for an audit of payroll procedures and propose a gradual settlement plan. The staff say no written reply has arrived.
City services at risk of shutdown
If the walkout proceeds, residents may find birth certificates, market licences and waste-collection schedules temporarily unavailable. Roadside sweeping, street-light maintenance and municipal police patrols could also pause, according to internal notices seen by this newspaper. Essential services for emergencies have not been specifically exempted so far.
Dolisie’s mayoral office had not issued a statement by press time. An aide reached by telephone said superiors were “working on a solution” and urged workers to keep channels open. No meeting between staff delegates and the municipal executive had been publicly confirmed.
Voices from inside the municipality
Emotions ran high during the assembly. Some agents wiped away tears as they described pawning household items to pay rent. Others expressed frustration that their children now skip school. “We suffer, I tell you,” said one father of ten, echoing comments recorded by several local outlets.
Yet the atmosphere also carried discipline. Workers quietly signed sheets designating picket coordinators for each arrondissement. The plan is to seal building gates at 14:00 sharp, then rotate vigilance teams to ensure security and prevent damage to public property, delegates emphasised.
Dialogue remains possible
Labour observers note that Congolese law allows strikes after notice and failed conciliation efforts. The Dolisie collective argues it followed procedure, giving authorities time to act. The group nonetheless says it remains open to mediation, provided a concrete payment calendar is tabled.
Financial experts contacted in Brazzaville point out that settling eight years of wages in one tranche would strain any municipal balance sheet. Phased repayment, perhaps prioritising lower-income grades first, appears plausible if additional transfers are unlocked, one consultant suggested, declining attribution because talks are unfinished.
For now, the calendar on every staffroom wall shows a red ring around 21 October. Posters read “14h00: city on pause”. Whether the pause lasts hours or weeks will depend on dialogue in the coming days, a union steward summarised before locking the assembly hall.
Residents interviewed in the Grand-Marché district expressed both sympathy and anxiety. “We understand their pain, but garbage cannot wait,” said market vendor Brigitte Mboungou. Taxi driver Arnaud Bidimbou worried about licence renewals. Most hoped negotiations would avert a prolonged shutdown.
As evening fell, the city’s central clock tower chimed over the rooftops, reminding everyone that another day—and another missed payday—had ended. In the words of a veteran archivist leaning on the railing: “We love serving Dolisie. We just want service in return.”