TEACHER'S STRIKE ENDS IN KINSHASA, CONTINUES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001734

SIPDIS

LABOR FOR DOL/ILAB TFAULKNER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015
TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV SOCI CG
SUBJECT: TEACHER'S STRIKE ENDS IN KINSHASA, CONTINUES IN
PROVINCES

REF: A. KINSHASA 1502

B. KINSHASA 1672

Classified By: EconCouns G. Groth: Reason: 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary. Striking teachers in public elementary,
secondary, and professional schools in Kinshasa agreed to go
back to work beginning Monday, October 17. The final GDRC
salary offer was accepted in principle and a dozen
presidential decrees that promoted approximately 6000
higher-level teachers and administrators in Kinshasa helped
to seal the deal. Their fellow union members in the
provinces, however, have not followed their example and
remain away from classrooms. End summary.


2. (C) Public school teachers from the elementary and
secondary school levels have been on strike since September 5
(ref A). Six weeks into the strike, on Friday, October 14,
the two striking public teachers' unions (SYECO and SYNECAT)
announced that they would accept in principle the GDRC offer
of between USD 50 and 100 per month, to be paid beginning on
or about October 20. From all appearances, the membership
has responded in Kinshasa, where all schools are open and
well-attended on Monday, October 17.


3. (C) Part of the GDRC package that eventually convinced the
unions to return to work was a series of presidential
decrees, a dozen in all, that were announced on Friday,
October 14. These decrees promoted some 6000 union members
in Kinshasa, all at the high end of the new pay scale. There
was an indication that the promotions would continue at a
steady rate to cover members outside Kinshasa and at lower
administrative levels.


4. (C) Public school attendance outside of the capital was
poor, as teachers' union members in the provinces did not
rush to accept the GDRC offer. As noted last week (ref B),
the public school teachers in the provinces are unhappy with
the disparities between bonuses paid in Kinshasa (for
example, transport) and those in the provinces, and they have
now noted that the decrees so far only concern higher level
teachers in Kinshasa.


5. (C) Comment: Progress has been made in resolving the
dispute which has kept so many children out of school, but
only Kinshasa seems back to normal. GDRC offer, plus the
promotions accorded, will do to the 2006 budget as more
teachers are paid higher salaries at higher pay grades. The
spin-off effect on other civil servants is something to be
closely watched. We expect the IMF team, which is in the DRC
this week to look at the 2006 budget, is already focusing on
the effects of these salary increases. End comment.
MEECE