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FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
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INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000560 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2016 
TAGS: ELAB PGOV ECON EFIN IV
SUBJECT: UNION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS REMAIN ON STRIKE 
 
REF: A) ABIDJAN 428 B) ABIDJAN 549 
 
Classified By: ECONOFF ERFANA DAR FOR REASON 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The National University Teachers' Union 
(Coordination Nationale des Enseignants du Superieur et des 
Chercheurs, CNEC) has been on strike since March 14, with the 
exception of a two-week truce from April 28 through May 12 
while the union met with members of the Prime Minister's 
office.  As those discussions have failed and the Prime 
Minister refuses to meet with CNEC, the union has voted to 
continue the strike until its salary demands are met at least 
in part.  The strike has had a negative impact on the 
academic year and may delay the annual Baccalaureate exam for 
secondary students, which members of CNEC are expected to 
administer and grade, in July.  Without the "Bac," students 
cannot enroll in universities here.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Background:  On May 16, EconOff and Econ FSN met with 
CNEC leaders Dr. Flavien Traore and Dr. Mema Fatoumata to 
discuss the causes of the strike, the status of the current 
negotiations, the impact of the strike on the academic year 
and CNEC's demands.  CNEC was created ten months ago and 
represents nearly 80 percent of university teachers in Cote 
d,Ivoire.  It does not have a political affiliation.  CNEC 
is the largest of three university professor unions.  The 
strike initially began March 14, 2006 and continued for six 
weeks.  On April 28, the strike was suspended following 
mediation by Prime Minister Banny and President Gbagbo.  On 
May 12, CNEC voted to break off the truce and continue strike 
action, alleging that the successive working sessions at the 
Prime Minister's office had not yielded the expected results 
and the seniority of the union's interlocutors had declined 
from the level of Secretary General to that of technical 
advisor. 
 
¶3. (U) Current Reaction to Past Non-action:  CNEC members are 
concerned about low wages, which range from USD 600 per month 
for an assistant lecturer to USD 1,500 per month for a full 
professor.  The university teachers have not had a 
significant salary increase in the last twenty years.  They 
are now demanding salaries of USD 4,000 per month for an 
assistant lecturer up to USD 8,000 per month for a full 
professor.  The union is also seeking an increase in research 
bonuses and additional housing allowances. 
 
¶4. (U) Government response:  In response to these demands, 
Minister of Labor Hubert Oulaye threatened to suspend the 
wages of the striking professors.  While subtracting the 
wages of the days that the striking professors did not teach 
is legal, complete suspension of wages is against Ivorian 
law.  In any event, Prime Minister Banny intervened and wages 
have continued to be paid.  Representatives of the Prime 
Minister's office and CNEC debated on &the negotiation 
framework8 through a two-week truce from April 28 to May 12. 
 Since talks with the Prime Minister's office did not lead to 
concrete results, CNEC requested the Prime Minister himself 
lead discussions.  However, the Prime Minister has publicly 
stated that he will not meet with them because his immediate 
and consuming priorities are disarmament, identification and 
the roadmap to elections, and that he believes CNEC is making 
these intense demands now to distract him from those 
priorities.  Dr. Traore and Dr. Fatoumata were adamant that 
CNEC will continue the strike until the Prime Minister's 
office meets their demands or negotiates a compromise. 
 
¶5. (U) Impact on the academic environment:  CNEC is ready to 
utilize the summer recess to make up the academic hours lost 
due to the strike if an acceptable solution to their demands 
is found.  As university professors are also in charge of 
administering and grading the Baccalaureate exam which will 
be held in July, it is likely that this strike will 
additionally affect secondary students scheduled to take the 
exam.  Without the Bac, students cannot enroll in 
universities here. 
 
¶6. (C) Comment:  The complaints by both secondary (ref B) and 
university teachers seem to be motivated by several factors: 
the sense that now is the time to press for long-standing 
demands for increases in  salaries, allowances, and 
subsidies, the creation of a new, more aggressive union in 
CNEC, and possibly, as Banny has intimated, politically 
motivated attempts to distract him from the peace process. 
Banny has, in fact, little room for maneuver in responding to 
these union demands since he lacks the cash to pay off the 
teachers (and to a certain extent at least, the private 
school owners, ref B) and is reluctant to make commitments on 
future payments which the government cannot afford.  If the 
Bac examinations are significantly delayed and the 
universities remain closed, it is likely that there will be a 
strong negative reaction on the part of students and perhaps 
their parents.  Already, youth militia leaders have 
threatened that university professors must resume teaching or 
 
ABIDJAN 00000560  002 OF 002 
 
 
face severe consequences.  Adding out-of-school students to 
out-of-work youth will not contribute to social stability 
here. 
Hooks