The Syndicat national des enseignants du second degré de Côte d’Ivoire (SYNESCI) and the Syndicat national des enseignants du primaire public de Côte d'Ivoire (SNEPPCI), both EI national affiliates, have called for an end to the public-sector teachers’ strike in primary and secondary schools. The teachers have been on an indefinite strike since 8 April, called by the joint trade union body for the education and training sector, the Intersyndicale du secteur éducation-formation (ISEF).
Their demands include the repayment of levies deducted from the salaries of 49,000 teachers, the reinstatement of dismissed head teachers, the de-confiscation of trade union dues, and the continuation of the check-off system.
Classrooms in the state schools in the country’s economic capital, Abidjan, have remained closed.
According to several eyewitness accounts, non-striking teachers who have tried to deliver lessons have been stopped by striking colleagues.
The strike follows the failure of discussions between the Prime Minister, Daniel Kablan Duncan, and the ISEF to reach an agreement.
SYNESCI: Payments on target
“The aim of a serious and responsible leadership is to strive for the fulfilment of its members,” said the General Secretary of SYNESCI, Siaka Traoré, following the union’s general assembly in April. “Discipline, the cardinal virtue of trade unionism, must guide the behaviour of all when there is a call to members. Unfortunately, teachers who claim to be from the SYNESCI have spread the propaganda of another structure, working against the interests and the honour of the SYNESCI.”
The implementation of the first item of the commitments that were made in the agreement reached between SYNESCI and the government on 17 December 2012 is a victory for the SYNESCI’s experience over the efforts of others, he said.
“Once again, our struggle has paid off. The Government of Côte d'Ivoire has respected the commitment made with SYNESCI to pay half of the 50 per cent of the financial effect of the exceptional reclassification of staff in the Education-Training sector, with the remainder paid in January and February 2013.”
At the end of their meetings, the government and the SYNESCI also agreed to the following:
- 25 per cent will be paid in full in 2014, taking the implementation rate to 100 per cent
- A framework for discussions will be set up to examine methods for settling outstanding payments
- The Ministry for the Civil Service and Administrative Reform set up an internal emergency procedure which has enabled the signing of over 22,000 reclassifications. At present, there are less than 2000 outstanding
SNEPPCI: Not part of this strike action
SNEPPCI does not support this strike, said its National General Secretary, Paul Gnelou.
The SNEPPCI did, in fact, go on strike from 19-21 November 2012. Its demands included: the payment of half the indexed bonus with the remainder to be paid by the end of November 2012; the payment of the outstanding housing allowance for teachers, with any remaining related sums settled by the end of November 2012; the payment of the second half of the financial effect of the indexed reclassification with any remaining related sums paid by the end of November 2012; and the payment of various allowances by the end of November 2012.
The government called SNEPPCI to the negotiating table from the very first day, Gnelou recalled. At the end of these negotiations, an agreement was signed between the Minister for the Civil Service and Administrative Reform, Konan Gnamien, and the SNEPPCI.
After a general assembly, the SNEPPCI decided to suspend the strike.
“To date, 95 per cent of the commitments made by the government during the negotiations have been met,” explained Gnelou. “The SNEPPCI and the SYNESCI are therefore not signatories to this strike notice.”
EI: Social dialogue crucial for quality education
EI warmly welcomes the dialogue between the unions representing education professionals and the government of Côte d’Ivoire,” said the principal coordinator for EI Africa, Assibi Napoe. “Social dialogue is an important means of ensuring quality public education in this country.”