The Malian banking, insurance, and commercial sector has been at a standstill since Thursday morning.
This followed a call from the National Union of Banks, Insurance Companies, Financial
Institutions, Retailers, and Service Stations of Mali (SYNABEF).
The 72-hour strike is linked to the arbitrary arrest of two Ecobank employees and a series of unmet social demands.
The strike follows the failure of negotiations with the Malian authorities after a notice was filed on April 2.
The mobilisation was triggered by the arrest of two employees of Ecobank’s Malian subsidiary, accused of issuing false guarantees in a case involving the state-owned company Energie du Mali (EDM-SA).
These arrests were deemed “arbitrary” by SYNABEF, which sees them as an infringement of
workers’ rights.
Faced with this situation, the union has structured its grievances around fifteen points, including legal protection for staff, improved working conditions, and compliance with regulatory texts governing the sector.
Since talks with government representatives failed to reach a compromise, the SYNABEF executive board confirmed in a press release dated April 16, 2025 (No. 004/2025), the launch of the strike order starting on Thursday, April 17.
The shutdown affects all commercial banks, insurance companies, microfinance institutions, affiliated businesses, and gas stations.
No minimum service is planned, in accordance with the union’s instructions.
The first effects of the strike should be felt as soon as services reopen in the morning. Several banking institutions, insurance counters, and gas stations are expected to remain closed or experience significant disruptions.
In the absence of concrete progress in the discussions, a 120-hour renewable strike has already been announced from Tuesday, April 22nd to Saturday, April 26th.
No official response had been made public by the authorities as of Thursday morning. SYNABEF, for its part, is calling for full mobilisation of the affected workers and strict compliance with the strike order.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA