Côte D'ivoire - Labor



Approximately 68% of the labor force was engaged in agriculture in 2000. The unemployment rate in urban areas was estimated at 13% in 1998.

The National Union of Côte d'Ivoire was formed in 1959; it was dissolved and replaced in 1962 by the General Union of Côte d'Ivoire Workers (Union Générale des Travailleurs de Côte d'Ivoire), controlled by the PDCI. In 1991, several UGTCI-affiliated unions, including those representing transport, media, customs, and bank workers broke away and became independent. In 1992, 11 formerly independent unions joined together to form the Federation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Côte d'Ivoire (FESACI). The right to strike is utilized by the unions after protracted negotiations are exhausted. Organized workers account for a very small segment of the workforce because most are involved in the informal sector or agriculture.

The law provides a 40-hour workweek for all except agricultural workers, for whom longer working hours are permitted. The legal minimum work age is 14 years, but this is only enforced in large companies and in the civil service. Many children work on farms, and do menial jobs in the informal sector in urban areas. A government-set minimum wage varies from sector to sector, with the lowest wage being $52 per month. Foreign workers are generally employed in the informal economy where labor laws do not apply.

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