The Tragic Situation of Workers and Trade Unionists in Sudan and the Systematic Violations during the War
Sudanese Professionals and Syndicates Coordination
Our comrades in Sudan are sounding the alarm about the tragic situation in their country, and the International Labour Network for Solidarity and Struggles is calling for awareness of this situation, trade union and popular resistance, and the development of links!
Introduction
Since the outbreak of the war in Sudan in April 2023, workers and trade unionists have been subjected to catastrophic humanitarian and professional conditions due to systematic violations committed by both parties to the conflict — the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The Sudanese trade union movement, historically a cornerstone in defending workers’ rights and advancing democratic freedoms, now faces an unprecedented wave of repression threatening its survival. Millions of workers have lost their livelihoods, and the work environment has collapsed across most regions of the country.
Executive Summary
This report by the Sudanese Professionals and Syndicates Coordination (SPSC) highlights the dire humanitarian and professional crisis faced by workers and trade unionists in Sudan since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
Over 290 serious violations have been documented, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, forced labor, gender-based violence, mass dismissals, and withholding of salaries. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have systematically targeted trade union leaders and members, undermining their rights to organize, work, and advocate.
The repression has led to near-total paralysis of independent trade unions, widespread economic hardship, displacement, and exclusion of workers from political and economic decision-making processes. These actions constitute flagrant breaches of Sudan’s international obligations under key ILO Conventions and human rights treaties.
The SPSC urgently calls on the International Labour Organization, United Nations, international trade unions, donor governments, and human rights organizations to:
● Demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained trade unionists.
● Send fact-finding missions to investigate violations and gender-based violence.
● Condemn all forms of repression and persecution.
● Revoke administrative decrees dissolving unions and ensure freedom of association.
● Provide international protection and support to affected workers, particularly women.
● Support the restoration and strengthening of an independent trade union movement as a vital pillar for peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction in Sudan
The defense of independent trade unions is essential not only for human rights but as a foundation for a just and lasting peace in Sudan.
I. General Context
Since the coup of 25 October 2021, trade union activity has been suspended by decrees issued by the military authorities.
In May 2025, the authorities ordered the dissolution of all executive trade union offices at every level, replacing them with unelected preparatory committees appointed by the Registrar General of Labor Organizations, under Decision No. 9.
The Sudanese Professionals and Syndicates Coordination has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against this decision, citing a clear violation of ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association, which Sudan ratified in March 2021.
The ongoing war has further deepened the crisis: productive and service sectors have been paralyzed, workplaces destroyed, and thousands of workers and trade unionists displaced.
Independent trade unions have become direct targets for both warring parties, perceived as organized, independent societal forces.
II. Documented Patterns of Violations
As of July 2025, the Sudanese Professionals and Syndicates Coordination has documented more than 290 serious violations against trade unionists and workers, including:
1. Arbitrary Arrests and Enforced Disappearance
○ Detention of trade union leaders and workers without judicial warrants.
○ Holding detainees in undisclosed locations, violating the right to a fair trial and freedom of movement.
2. Torture and Ill-Treatment
○ Physical and psychological abuse in detention, including severe beatings, starvation, and denial of medical treatment — breaching Sudan’s obligations under the Convention against Torture (CAT).
3. Killing and Direct Targeting
○ Targeted killings and attacks against workers in the health, transport, and humanitarian sectors, in violation of international humanitarian law, which protects civilians and essential service workers.
4. Violence-Based Gender Harassment
○ Women workers and unionists have been subjected to sexual harassment, intimidation, and gender-based violence in workplaces, detention centers, and checkpoints.
Such acts were used as tools of humiliation, punishment, and to deter women from participating in union activities.
5. Threats and Security Harassment
○ Death threats, arbitrary summons, and constant harassment, forcing thousands into internal displacement or exile, depriving them of their right to work and organize.
6. Seizure and Destruction of Union Premises
○ Armed raids on trade union offices, destruction or looting of property, and conversion of premises into military bases — violating the right to freedom of association.
7. Repressive Measures in Khartoum and Western Sudan
○ Dismissal of hundreds of workers without due process, under accusations of collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces — violating the rights to work and non-discrimination.
8. Withholding of Salaries
○ De facto authorities in Port Sudan have withheld salaries of thousands of public sector workers for over two years, causing severe socio-economic hardship and breaching workers’ economic rights.
9. Forced Labor – Violation of ILO Convention No. 29
○ Cases documented where workers were forced to perform labor in conflict zones under armed coercion or security threats, constituting forced or compulsory labor.
10. Banning of Union Activities
○ Administrative orders have dissolved unions, frozen their assets, and prohibitedmeetings, further eroding freedom of association.
III. Impact on the Trade Union Movement and Workers
● Near-total paralysis of independent trade union activity and absence of legitimate worker representation.
● Collapse of organizational structures due to arrests, displacement, and state interference via appointed committees loyal to the authorities.
● Increased vulnerability of workers to exploitation and rights violations due to the absence of union protection.
● Exclusion of workers’ voices from political and economic decision-making processes shaping Sudan’s future.
IV. Breach of International Standards and Conventions
These violations constitute flagrant breaches of Sudan’s obligations under:
● ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.
● ILO Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.
● ILO Convention No. 29 on the Prohibition of Forced Labor.
● The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
V. Urgent Recommendations to International Organizations
1. Demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained trade unionists and workers.
2. The International Labour Organization (ILO) to send a fact-finding mission to Sudan and investigate violations of Conventions 87, 98, and 29.
3. The United Nations and international trade union bodies condemn the repression, provide emergency support to affected workers, and pressure both parties to cease all forms of persecution against unionists.
4. Revoke administrative decrees dissolving trade unions and replacing them with appointed committees.
5. Provide international protection mechanisms for trade unionists in conflict zones and exile.
6. Support the restoration and strengthening of an independent trade union movement as a central pillar of peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction.
Conclusion
The defense of independent trade unions and the safeguarding of freedom of association are not merely human rights imperatives — they are essential conditions for achieving a just and lasting peace that addresses the root causes of Sudan’s crisis.
The Sudanese Professionals and Syndicates Coordination calls upon all international and trade union organizations to take urgent action to end these violations and ensure that Sudan’s trade union movement remains a free, independent, and effective force in defending workers’ rights,contributing to peacebuilding, ending the war, and shaping the country’s future.
Narmeen Nasur
Executive Office
