<div><p>Trade unions in Niger on Thursday rejected President Mamadou Tandja's call for economic sacrifices in the deeply poor west African country, which faces financial and diplomatic sanctions.</p><p>"We don't intend to make useless sacrifices of ourselves for the pleasure of a few Nigeriens," Innocent Raphael, a leader of the Democratic Confederation of Workers of Niger (CDTN), said on the private Dounia radio.</p><p>Chaibou Tankari, of the Progressist Trade Union of Workers (USPT), said that "what the president asks isn't responsible" and accused Tandja of being the cause of the sanctions.</p><p>Niger has been plunged into crisis since Tandja, after almost 10 years in power, obtained an extension of his mandate in a controversial referendum.</p><p>His second five-year term, which was due to expire on December 22, has now been prolonged for at least three years.</p><p>The referendum, boycotted by the opposition, led to a storm of international criticism, especially since Tandja had previously dissolved parliament and the constitutional court when they opposed the poll.</p><p>Last October, Tandja went on to hold parliamentary elections that were again boycotted by the opposition and led to the suspension of Niger from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and a halt of European Union development aid.</p><p>The United States also imposed diplomatic and economic sanctions.</p><p>Since the announcement of these sanctions, Niger's trade unions have feared that they will affect the payment of wages for civil servants.</p><p>On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ali Badjo Gamatie disclosed on state television that the 2010 budget, evaluated at 732 billion CFA francs (1.1 billion euros / 1.6 billion dollars), was dependent on foreign aid to the tune of more than 50 percent.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66906566&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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