VZCZCXRO3684
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0325/01 1780756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260756Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2698
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

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: 
 
------------------------------------ 
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. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
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. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
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. 
 
------------------------- 
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. 
 
----------------------------------- 
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 
------------------------- 
 
CONAKRY 00000325  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶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. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
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. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
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. 
 
------------------------ 
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. 
 
--------------- 
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). 
 
------- 
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