Benin – Constitutional revision in Benin: three trade union federations speak out
The proposed revision of the Constitution has sparked strong reactions within the trade union movement.
In an open letter made public on Thursday, November 6, 2025, three major trade union centres: CSA-Bénin, CGTB and UNSTB expressed their firm opposition to the constitutional bill submitted to the National Assembly on October 31.
United around the same position, the trade unions denounce a heavy-handed initiative carried out without consultation with the country’s key stakeholders. They say the move is ill-timed, just months before the 2026 general elections, and that it diverts attention from the country’s real social priorities.
The unions consider the reform “out of touch with the realities of the working world” and single out the proposed creation of a Senate, seen as an additional budgetary burden in a difficult economic context. “The government should focus its efforts on employment, purchasing power and the quality of public services rather than on non-urgent institutional reforms,” they stress.
On the legal front, the unions warn against any forced push-through without popular consultation. They recall that the 1990 Constitution guarantees the sovereignty of the people and limits the possibility of revision without a referendum on aspects deemed fundamental, notably the republican form of the State.
Calling on deputies to show prudence and responsibility, the three centres demand that any debate on the revision be preceded by an inclusive national dialogue. They announce their intention to closely monitor the parliamentary vote and to make public each elected official’s position on the matter.
This joint statement marks a new stage in the climate of political and social tension surrounding the constitutional reform. It could, in the coming days, rally other civil society organisations to a broader opposition front.
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