Ivory Coast: Secular private school teachers and staff indefinite strike June 6

Event

The National Teachers and Staff Union representing secular private schools (Synepplaci) announced on Monday, May 29, that they will go on an indefinite strike as of Tuesday, June 6, to denounce poor working conditions and demand a reevaluation of their salary. According a union spokesperson, if the government does not take concrete measures to resolve the situation, schools will be closed as well as exams centers, preventing exams from taking place.

Context

According to Synepplaci, the state owes the teachers and staff 23 years of salary arrears, approximately USD 685,000 (XOF 400 billion).

A civil servant strike, which mainly affected the education sector, was launched on January 9. While civil servant unions officially suspended the movement on January 27, following negotiations with the government, some issues remained unresolved, such as the payment of salary arrears. On May 1, the president called for a social truce to facilitate discussions. However, the social truce was ended with a five-day strike between May 8 – May 12.

Advice

Those present in Ivory Coast are advised to avoid any protests and to keep abreast of the situation.