Railway workers joining Dakar and Niger began a historic strike claiming the rights of French workers. The protest of these 17,000 workers, which lasted just over five months, received the solidarity of dock workers and industrialists, paralysing the countries of Senegal, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea with a 10-day general strike. It was the first time that they met like this and it affected all the railways in West Africa.

Finally, in March 1948, the strike was suspended after being able to cover most of its demands. It was a turning point in the fight against colonialism.