Employees protest at Mamoudzou building

More than 100 employees gathered on Monday under the awning of the Department-Region building in Mamoudzou to denounce inadequate facilities, material difficulties, and unfulfilled promises regarding the future administrative city of Coconi. The employees, from services attempting to continue functioning despite a lack of premises, equipment, and clarity about their future, responded to the call from the intersyndical union for this first day of indefinite strike, declared after a general assembly on October 13.

Coconi Administrative City project in focus

The main point of contention in this mobilization is the construction of the Coconi Administrative City, which has been awaited for several years. For the intersyndical union, it is not simply a matter of having new offices, but of bringing the services together in a suitable location, capable of meeting the needs of the staff and improving the functioning of the local authority. The project would have already undergone significant preparatory work, and plans would even be available.

Details of the proposed building

The building imagined was to include, among other things, a nursery, personal services, a gym, and rest areas. Budgetary means had been announced for the period 2025 to 2027, with the start of works in August 2026. By the end of October 2026, the employees say they have noticed no progress on the site and demand that the necessary funds be included in the 2027 budget.

Impact on local authority skills

For Saïd Hachim, a member of the CFDT and representative of the intersyndical union, the delay in the project also has consequences on the skills of the local authority. He states that some qualified agents, who had participated in the preparatory work, have since left the Department to join other structures.

Workplace tensions and management issues

The employees also speak of tensions on a daily basis in the services, particularly the pressure from their hierarchy and situations of harassment. For the intersyndical union, this unease also comes from the way the services are organized. According to them, experienced and committed individuals sometimes find themselves sidelined or confronted with decisions they do not understand, while responsibilities and promotions are not always attributed based on skills.

Calls for support and accountability

Saïd Hachim states that the unions have alerted the executive and filed a complaint with the prosecutor of the Republic on these issues, but there has been no response. Difficulties that, according to the employees, have consequences on their personal lives and health. They therefore demand more concrete social support, with financial assistance dedicated to staff in difficulty. A simple referral to a social worker is not always sufficient, they say, when the problems persist once they return home.

Demands for commitments and potential protests

The intersyndical union wants concrete commitments, including meeting with officials who can make commitments to obtain specific answers, particularly regarding the schedule for the administrative city and the means necessary to improve working conditions. In the meantime, the movement must gain strength, and employees could take to the streets as early as Tuesday. The route of the demonstration was to be submitted to the city hall and the prefecture.