Of the seven points claimed by the National labor Union of Higher Education (SNESUP), on unlimited strike since April 4, there is only one blockage: Malian teachers want a readjustment of their ceiling grid.
Last negotiations between the labor union and the government: on April 25, when the latter acceded to six of the seven demands of the higher education labor union. « The most important », according to labor unionists, has not been decided.
It’s especially the « immediate signing of the Tripartite Commission’s report tabled on January 31, 2017 and the immediate application of the ceiling 3000 and decking 1368 to higher education teaching staff and researchers. « Nerve of war, the ceiling grid is at the center of all blockages. The proposal of a 5% increase in the current grid (1,210 FCFA) made by the authorities does not satisfy the labor unionists. « This is not our issue, it just proves that the government does not have control over the matter », said Abdou Mallé, general secretary of the labor union reached on the phone by Sahelien.com.
A proposal that the strikers find much less than the grid of their colleagues in the sub-region: 2,750 FCFA in Niger, 4,064 in Senegal and 3,380 in Burkina Faso. « We went on a tour in 2014. We then signed a memorandum of understanding with the government, so we have a legal basis for our demands », explains Mr. Mallé.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga met with labor unionists to urge them to return to the negotiating table after more than a week of interruption. The strikers, who denounce a lack of will of the government, say that they are « ready » to return but consider that the ball is still in the government’s court. If labor unionists succeed, the highest salary of a teacher / researcher in the category A should be increased from 1,113,200 FCFA to 2,760,000.
Agreement points
The immediate adoption of the new « Teacher-Researcher » status, the immediate appointment of civil servants in higher education and scientific research omitted from the ranking of June 16, 2015 and the capitalization of the publications of IER researchers recruited in 2008 for their fair transposition (partial agreement), the immediate and effective restoration of the « Studies and Research» Fund in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding of May 13, 2016, the immediate payment of overtime for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 to the IUG teachers, and the total eradication of violence in the university space.
Aboubacar Dicko