The unions filed a collective strike notice on 11 January, followed by initial negotiations with the minister for the public sector and administrative reform, Gnamien Konan. However, they did not reach an agreement and the minister told the workers that their salaries would not be paid for the duration of the strike.

The workers are demanding a wage increase and the release of arrears of allowances that have been held back for more than 20 years. They are also asking that family allowance, housing benefits and transport allowances be upgraded.