Aboubacar Soumah (born September 2, 1964) is a Guinean trade unionist. For many years, he has been engaged in the Free Union of Guinean Teachers and Researchers (SLECG) to defend the rights and working conditions of teachers and researchers in the country.
Becoming Secretary General of the SLECG in 2018, he has conducted numerous negotiations with government authorities, not hesitating to resort to the strike to make the demands of his peers heard. Respected for his sense of dialogue and negotiation, Aboubacar Soumah affirms himself as an indispensable figure in the Guinea trade union movement, working tirelessly to improve the situation of education workers.
Introduction
Aboubacar Soumah (born 2 September 1964 in Tanénè Bouramayah) is an important figure of trade unionism in Guinea. For many years, he has been committed to defending the rights of teachers and researchers in the country within the Free Union of Guinean Teachers and Researchers (SLECG). His career was marked by an unceasing struggle to improve the working conditions and pay of his peers.
Education
After primary and secondary education in his native region, Aboubacar Soumah continued his studies at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education. This initial training enabled him to embrace the career of teacher, which he exercised for several years before dedicating himself fully to trade union action.
Professional career
After his studies, Aboubacar Soumah joined the ranks of Guinean National Education. He has been teaching for many years, acquiring a strong field experience and an in-depth knowledge of the problems faced by teachers and researchers in the country.
Career as a trade unionist
It was in 2017 that Aboubacar Soumah began his true career as a trade unionist. He then became deputy secretary-general of the SLECG, the historic union of education in Guinea. In this capacity, he participates in an important inter-union event, alongside other organizations such as the Professional Trade Union Federation of Education (FSPE), the National Confederation of Guinean Workers (CNTG) and the Union of Guinean Workers (USTG).
The SLECG
In 2018, Aboubacar Soumah became Secretary-General of the SLECG. In this role, he has pursued crucial negotiations with the Government of Guinea, including the President's personal adviser minister, Tibou Camara, the Minister for Energy and Hydraulics, Cheick Taliby Sylla, and the Ombudsman of the Republic, Mohamed Saidou Fofana. These exchanges resulted in the signing of an agreement on 14 March 2018 in the Palais du Peuple Hall.
However, the March agreements are not satisfactory to Aboubacar Soumah, who then decides to declare an unlimited general strike on October 3, 2018, the scheduled day for the return of classes. This mobilization demonstrates its determination to better conditions for Guinean teachers and researchers.
After the coup d'état of 5 September 2021, Aboubacar Soumah praised the courage of Mamadi Doumbouya, who ended the Alpha Condé regime. He believes that this regime change could lead to a better unification of the previously divided Guinea trade union movement.
Finally, on April 1, 2022, Aboubacar Soumah and the SLECG joined the National Confederation of Guinean Workers (CNTG), which he had long criticised. This decision marks a new milestone in the trade unionist's career, who now wants to work within a broader structure to amplify the voice of Guinean workers.
Conclusion
Thro his career, Aboubacar Soumah has established himself as an indispensable player of trade unionism in Guinea. His commitment to the defence of the rights of teachers and researchers, as well as his sense of dialogue and negotiation, make him a figure respected and listened to by the authorities. Although his actions have occasionally caused tensions, Aboubacar Soumah continues to fight to improve the working conditions of his peers and to make the voice of the Guinean teaching corps heard.
