STATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS SHUT DUE TO TEACHERS' STRIKE

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 001314

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PREL KPKO IV
SUBJECT: STATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS SHUT DUE TO TEACHERS' STRIKE

REF: ABIDJAN 789


1. On November 9, 2006, the Primary School Teachers,
Movement for the Defense of their Rights, known as Mouvement
des Instituteurs pour la Defense de leurs Droits (MIDD),
launched a strike to protest the government's failure to
grant USD 80 (CFAF 40,000) per month in housing allowances
for primary school teachers. State primary schools have been
shut down throughout the country as all primary school
teachers, including the minority of teachers not formally of
the MIDD, have been on strike. On November 15, 2006, the
Ministry of Education held talks with the MIDD members, but
no agreement was reached on this key grievance. Though not
officially recognized as a legal union (they have applied for
such status in April 2006) the MIDD is a powerful movement
made up of roughly 30,000 public sector primary school
teachers out of a total of 35,000 in Cote d'Ivoire.


2. This is the second strike the MIDD has launched since
June. In June 2006 (reftel),the MIDD went on strike to draw
the government's attention to the housing problems that are
common among primary school teachers. Following initial
talks, the Ministry of Education agreed to create an
inter-ministerial committee, comprised of representatives of
the MIDD as well as from the Ministries of Education, Labor,
and Finance, to analyze the demands. Trusting the
initiative, the MIDD ended its strike on July 31, 2006 and
proceeded with the normal process of grading year-end exams
that took place on August 1.


3. Since the creation of the committee, the government has
failed to take any further action. Denouncing the
ineffectiveness of the committee and also questioning the
sincerity of the government in creating it, the MIDD says it
will continue the strike until a decree granting the housing
allowance is signed. In addition, private primary school
teachers met with the Minister of Integration on November 27
to discuss similar grievances with salary issues.


4. Comment: Though the demanded amount per teacher is
relatively small, the collective amount owed if the decree is
signed is over 1.5 billion CFAF (roughly 2.8 million USD) per
month. Resolution of this issue requires consensus from the
Ministry of Finance, which may be difficult given the total
sums involved and the ongoing political situation that has
occupied nearly the full attention of the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Education will meet with leaders of the MIDD
on November 28, but until some resolution is reached, the
majority of Ivorian children are not attending classes. End
comment.
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