Africa-Press. Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema discussed with Minister of Communication and Media Germain Biyaodjo ways to address the strike by workers in the public media sector. The president stressed the need to open a “comprehensive and constructive” dialogue between the ministry, trade union bodies, and employees in order to reach solutions that preserve social peace. He also recommended speeding up the handling of priority files in preparation for presenting them to the Cabinet.
Workers at Gabon’s public media institutions—chief among them the “Gabon Television” group, including “Gabon Première,” “Radio Gabon,” and “Télévision Gabon”—have continued an open-ended general strike since January 22 of this month. The strike has disrupted news bulletins and reduced operations to a minimum, amid demands that have accumulated for years without being resolved.
According to observers, the crisis resulting from the strike puts the government before a twofold challenge: responding to workers’ demands on the one hand, and ensuring the regularity of broadcasting and media services—considered a strategic sector for conveying national information—on the other.
