The Syndicat National des Travailleurs des Collectivités Locales du Sénégal (SNTCLS) won the battle for better wages and restored hope to its members by signing an agreement with the Government of Senegal that improves workers' conditions of service.

Local government workers faced precarious conditions, including:

• Lack of formal status for temporary / contract workers.

• Poor wages that are far below national scales.

• Job insecurity with no clear path to permanent employment.

From 2023 to 2024, the unions staged strikes, demonstrations, that disrupted services in Dakar and other cities in the country. In March 2025, the unions regrouped and organised major strikes that stopped municipal operations, demanding integration into the national civil service salary scale. This prompted the government to call for dialogue with union leaders.

By insisting on the struggle, the inter-union wanted to defend this legitimate rights of these brave local government workers.

The agreement includes three key wins: 

• Full salary adjustment for 1,155 civil servant employees, aligning their pay with national public service salary scales—now ranging between 80,000 and 300,000 CFA francs, depending on grade.

• A transitional allowance of 80,000 CFA francs granted over three years to 6,458 certified staff, to enable their gradual and structured integration into the territorial public service.

• A special fund of 1.5 billion CFA francs to support the most financially vulnerable local governments affected by the reform, with rigorous and contractualised management.

Daouda Gacko, SNTCLS, said, “By insisting on the struggle, the inter-union wanted to defend this legitimate rights of these brave local government workers. The union considers this agreement as justice served”.

The agreement signed by the union and the government is a step in the right direction as local government workers reclaim their dignity and continue to provide quality public services for the citizens. Moussa Bala FOFANA, Minister of Urban Planning, Territorial Communities and Territorial Planning state: “The re-evaluation of the salaries of territorial agents is a major step forward for their dignity”.

As much as this is a milestone in the consolidation of Senegal’s local governance framework, the war against privatisation and erosion of public services must continue by the unions like SNTCLS.