The series of strikes during the past four months by public university teachers in Niger have ended after a five-point agreement was signed between the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Yahouza Sadissou and the National Union of Teachers and Researchers of Niger (SNECS).
According to the agreement signed Thursday in Niamey, the government agrees to return the deductions it had made on the salaries of SNECS strikers. In addition, the government is committed to paying in full, and no later than the end of August, outstanding arrears of statutory entitlements (sick leave, in particular).
For their part, the teachers are committed to making remedial classes in order to save the academic year.
The agreement also mentions that the two signatory parties have agreed on the setting up of a standing consultative framework for the prevention and management of possible university crises.
The signing of this memorandum of understanding (MOU) came 24 hours after SNECS, sued by the government, was forced to suspend its last strike.
Following the government’s decision to reform the governance of public universities, including the appointment of rectors and vice-rectors of the country’s eight public universities, teachers had started their strikes.
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