The crisis committee of the Chad Teachers’ Union (SET) has warned that “the real battle has just begun.”
Thousands of teachers on strike in Chad have not had their November 2023 salaries wired to their banks.
According to SET, the government has made good on its threat to withhold the salaries of striking teachers.
On several occasions, the government has expressed its intention to suspend the salaries of teachers who are still on strike.
According to the authorities, the provisions of Law 32 of 31 December 2016 give them the right to proceed.
Article 15 of the law states that “No remuneration shall be paid for days not worked as a result of a strike. The wages for the days not worked shall be paid by the unions that initiate the strike, unless the reason for the strike is a general delay in the payment of wages (…).”
“Dear comrades, Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo, Minister Moussa Kadam and their accomplices have just carried out their threats by suspending the wages of us strikers. This should not discourage us comrades. They have just added fuel to the fire,” wrote the chairman of the SET crisis committee, Djimoudouel Faustin in a message to his fellow teachers.
By carrying out the threat, Faustin believes that “the government has shown its weakness.” “The real battle has begun and we must continue until the final victory,” he urged his comrades.
Since 2 November, the Chadian education system has been paralysed by a strike called by the SET. The strike, which was later lifted, led to the dismissal of the SET’s executive committee.
A crisis committee set up to deal with the situation resumed the strike, this time without taking any action.
Despite calls from the Ministry of Education and the National Federation of Parents’ Associations for the resumption of academic activities, the crisis committee stood firm.
The suspension of classes forced the Ministry of Education to review the school calendar.
The first and second term holidays were shortened by only two days.
They were originally scheduled to last ten days. The ministry justified this by saying that it wanted to make up for the lost hours.
CA/ac/lb/as/APA