Comoro Teachers Boycott Classes

By Ali Moindji, Panafrican News Agency, 2 October 2000

Moroni, Comoros - Comoran teachers boycotted classes Monday, the beginning of a new school year, in response to a strike called by the Union of primary and high school teachers.

The teachers, who are protesting against accumulated salary arrears, also want a lift on the promotion freeze in the civil service since 1994. They accused the government of not respecting an agreement signed in March by the two parties in which the government undertook to ensure that salaries would be paid regularly in 2000.

The teachers are being owed five months salaries this year, in addition to 18 months of outstanding salaries from 1997 to 1999.

"Schools will not resume in this country unless, within a month from today (Monday), all outstanding salaries for 2000 are paid in full," a member of the teachers' committee declared.

In addition to paying salaries regularly, the Comoran government had pledged in a joint committee meeting to negotiate the issue of the other 18 months salary arrears.

Meanwhile, Mbaye Toimimou, secretary-general of the Education Ministry, has dismissed the strike as illegal because, according to him, the teachers did not give the required notice.