Sudanese unions criticise government's privatisation plan

The Sudanese trade union federation has protested against the government's new privatisation programme, saying it would result in over forty-thousand people losing their jobs.

A senior union official Tajul-Sir Abdoon said his union would begin a campaign to inform workers of the government's determination to get rid of the public sector.

He described as a total failure the previous privatisation operations.

Last week, the finance minister, Abdel Wahab Osman, said the government would start a new phase of privatising banks and other companies.

The Sudanese press has put the number of enterprises to be privatised at thirty.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service