TEACHERS' UNIONS SUSPEND STRIKE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CONAKRY 000325

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PGOV ASEC PHUM GV
SUBJECT: TEACHERS' UNIONS SUSPEND STRIKE

REF: A. CONAKRY 0284


B. CONAKRY 0303


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. As of Sunday, June 22, Guinea's teachers'
unions (SLECG and FSPE) agreed to suspend a nationwide labor
strike that began on June 19 (reftels). National exams,
which were originally scheduled for the week of June 9 and
then postponed to the week of June 23, are now scheduled for
the week of June 30. The strike was peaceful. Although
union leaders said they would not accept more promises from
the GoG to meet their demands, that is essentially what they
did. With a few exceptions, most of the agreement is to be
implemented in September and October 2008, just when the new
school year will be getting started. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) According to the negotiated agreement with the
teachers' unions, the Government of Guinea has committed to
address unions demands as follows:

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Respect for the January 2007 Accords
--------------


3. (U) The unions initially demanded "scrupulous respect"
for the January 2007 Accords, which was prompted by the
appointment of Dr. Ahmed Tidiane Souare as the new prime
minister at the end of May. According to union contacts, the
Accords specifically state that former members of government
cannot be appointed to the consensus government. However, in
the text of the negotiated agreement, the unions denounced
the GoG's lack of respect for the Accords, but said that
because it is a complex point requiring further evaluation,
it should be addressed later.

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Hiring and Appointment of New Teachers
--------------


4. (U) The former Ministry of Education held national
certification exams in 2007 in order to recruit additional
teachers. When the unions called the strike, they demanded
that those teachers that had passed the exams (approximately
600) be immediately hired and assigned to schools. Within
the text of the negotiated agreements, the unions refer to
several recent ministerial decrees regarding the hiring of
new teachers, and stipulate that all of the hiring orders
should be implemented by July 2008.

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Replacement of Senior Education Officials
--------------


5. (U) Referring to an "aging and sedentary" group of
bureaucratic officials occupying senior education positions,
the unions demanded that such officials be replaced by
younger, more qualified educators. On this point, the unions
recommend that a restructuring of the education bureaucracy
and new civil service appointments be completed before the
start of the new school year in October 2008.

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PAYMENT OF SALARY ARREARS
--------------


6. (U) Teachers were supposedly granted a salary increase
several months ago, which was based on an indexed scale, but
never actually received the money. According to the
negotiated agreement, the GoG must implement the increase by
the end of June 2008. In addition, the GoG agrees to pay
teachers (including those newly hired) three months worth of
arrears in September 2008, and two months worth of arrears in
October.

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Payment of Miscellaneous Allowances
--------------


7. (U) The GoG reportedly provided the unions with copies of
ten different ministerial decrees addressing miscellaneous
allowance issues, including allowances for course
preparation, insurance, licensing fees, etc. The unions call
for these allowances to be implemented in stages: three
allowances in July 2008, one in September 2008, and four in
October 2008.

--------------
Conversion of Contractors
--------------

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8. (U) A recurring problem both for the teachers and the GoG
is the issue of contract teachers. These teachers have been
hired over the years with the promise of permanent employment
that never materializes. They are generally paid less than
regular teachers and have no guarantee of continued
employment. The negotiated agreement calls for the GoG to
convert 6000 contractors to permanent status between July
2008 and September 2008, and another 6808 contractors in
October 2008. In addition, the GoG and the unions agreed to
create a committee to oversee the conversion process.

-------------- --------------
Payment of Government Subsidy to the Teachers' Unions
-------------- --------------


9. (U) The unions demanded that the GoG begin paying an
undetermined subsidy directly to the unions, which would be
used for union operating expenses. According to the
negotiated agreement, the unions have agreed to revisit this
issue with the appropriate ministers in October 2008.

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Doubling of Salaries (Including Pensions)
--------------


10. (U) The agreement states that the GoG and the unions
agree that teachers' salaries should be increased, and that
the issue will be addressed in the 2009 budget. To ensure
that the budgeting happens, the agreement authorizes the
establishment of two commissions, one to deal with budgeting
issues, and the second to revise the national salary scale,
which must be completed before October 2008. With respect to
pensions, the unions expressed appreciation for the GoG's
recent efforts to increase the salary base for pensions, and
request that similar adjustments be made in 2008.

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Resolution of Transportation Allowance
--------------


11. (U) Since the jump in fuel prices at the end of March,
the teachers' unions have been demanding an increase in their
transportation allowance. According to the negotiated
agreement, the GoG has agreed to increase the transportation
allowance to 144,000 GnF ($32 - it was previously about $5),
beginning September 2008. In addition, the GoG has agreed to
pay five months worth of allowance arrears in October 2008.

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Implementation Committee
--------------


12. (U) In addition to the three commissions established
earlier in the agreement to implement various aspects of the
agreement, the GoG and the unions agreed to establish an
oversight committee to ensure that the agreement is fully
implemented.

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Union Reactions
--------------


13. (SBU) Various union contacts seem to be reasonably
satisfied with the agreement, but are waiting to see if the
GoG upholds its end of the bargain. They say the immediate
test is the payment of promised increases at the end of June.
The Deputy Secretary General of SLECG, Elhadj Sy Savane,
told Pol LES that everyone is waiting to see how the GoG
implements the agreement. "We have to be vigilant in order
to avoid previous traps," he said. (COMMENT. Before the
strike got started, Savane told POLOFF that the GoG has made
many promises in the past, but that promises would not be
enough to satisfy the unions this time around. END COMMENT).

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COMMENT
--------------


14. (SBU) Union leaders have made it clear that they are
looking for more than promises, but on first glance, it does
not appear that they got much more than that. Much of the
agreement promises payment of various allowances, arrears,
and salary increases in September and October 2008. Most
administrative changes are also promised for October 2008.
The only immediate concession is the payment of basic salary
increases next week, which the Minister of Finance told the
G8 will not be an issue because the former Ministry of

CONAKRY 00000325 003 OF 003


Education's budget is adequate to cover the additional
expense. The new school year will start in October 2008,
which suggests that the unions will be watching the GoG's
response closely before deciding whether or not to return to
work in the fall. END COMMENT.

CARTER