7 October 2007
Bujumbura — Members of The Secondary Schools' Teachers Union (CONAPES) will go on strike on Monday 8 October 2007, three days after the international day for teachers which was marked by no special celebrations in Burundi.
This strike comes after the government failed to start talks with the representatives of the teachers in time. The government downplayed the demand for talks of this union which a week ago warned that a strike might follow if the government failed to meet their demands.
Their demands include the setting up of the teachers' fund for housing, the implementation of the 34&percnt increase in salary promised by the President, the payment of arrears, the provision of plots for construction and further teaching materials.
Providing plots to teachers is a point that the government is reluctant to tackle. The leader of CONAPES, Mr. Philibert Ngenzahayo, indicates that the government is seeking to change the terms of the deal which was reached more than two years ago.
â-šAs far as we are concerned, the change of a minister should not influence agreements that have been reached, for we believe in the continuity of the government", Mr Ngenzahayo said, stressing that the ministry of education is seeking to restarts talks instead of implementing the deals that have been signed.
Since the accession of CNDD-FDD to power, even the distribution of plots to teachers has been suspended, and school materials that were provided to teachers hitherto have also been retained, although they were included in the annual budgets.
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