The Trader's Union in Sinnar, Sudan, including its mandate, organization, membership, activities and any difficulties encountered by its members [SDN41394.E]

No reports of the Trader's Union in Sinnar could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following information is of interest.

Two sources consulted by the Research Directorate indicate that after the 1989 coup d'état, the government of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) abolished trade union activity (The Europa World Year Book 2002 2002, 3743; Country Reports 2001 2002, 654). It

closed union offices, froze union assets, forbade strikes, and prescribed severe punishments, including the death penalty, for violations of its labor decrees, and there is a continuing ban under the emergency decree on labour unions not sanctioned by the Government. ... Approximately
95, 000 trade union members reportedly were dismissed from their jobs by the Government during purges of the civil service in the 1990s (Country Reports 2001 2002, 654).

With the exception of the "government-controlled" Sudan Workers' Trade Union Federation (SWTUF), a blue-collar organization representing about 800,000 members which continued to operate in 2001, "all other" unions were banned (ibid.). Labour leaders were dismissed from their jobs or detained, although "all those" arrested were released by the end of the year (ibid.). Sudanese law, according to Country Reports 2001, does not prevent employers from practising "antiunion discrimination" (2002, 654).

Freedom in the World 2001 - 2002, reports that

there are no independent trade unions. The Sudan Workers Trade Unions Federation is the main labor organization, with about 800,000 members. Local union elections are rigged to ensure the election of government-approved candidates. A lack of labor legislation limits the freedom of workers to organize or bargain collectively (26 June 2002).

Notwithstanding, the ban on labour unions imposed by the government, Country Reports observes that, in 2001 unions were free to form federations and affiliate with international organizations such as the Africa Workers' Union and the Arab Workers' Union (2002, 654).