The union committee of the Workers’ Union of Mali at Bank of Africa Mali (BOA-Mali) began a three-day capacity-building session for its members on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The session focuses on equipping committee members with tools to defend workers’ rights and support social peace within the bank.
The training is held under the theme “Union leadership, labor law, and organizational revitalization: How to consolidate and strengthen the action of the CSTM union committee at BOA-Mali?”
It brings together members of the union executive for discussions on labor law, leadership, collective bargaining, and social dialogue.
At the opening, the secretary general of the BOA-Mali union committee described the initiative as “a strategic investment for the future” of the union organization, rather than a routine training exercise.
The three-day program covers several topics tied to the committee’s mandate, including:
- Fundamentals of labor relations and Malian law
- Leadership and union governance
- Social dialogue and collective bargaining
- Prerogatives of workers’ representatives
- Occupational health and safety
- Union communication techniques
The secretary general of the CSTM said that training grassroots union structures is essential for effective union action.
He argued that a union cannot defend workers’ interests without a solid command of labor law, negotiation techniques, and conflict prevention and management mechanisms.
He also urged members of the union executive to use the training as a tool for transformation, so they leave with new knowledge and a renewed sense of their mission.
The National Director of Labor presided over the opening ceremony on behalf of the Minister of Labor, Public Service, and Social Dialogue.
He welcomed the initiative’s relevance, noting that a union should not be reduced to a protest instrument but must also act as a social regulator, a dialogue partner, and a contributor to the company’s development.
According to him, an effective union must know legal texts, master its missions, communicate responsibly, negotiate methodically, and propose realistic solutions.
He described union training as a necessity and a requirement of responsibility, especially amid profound changes in the world of work and growing performance demands in the banking sector.
The minister’s representative also stressed the role of social dialogue in regulating labor relations and preventing social crises, and encouraged participants to turn what they learn into concrete actions for workers and the company.
Source: Mali 24