On February 21, 2022, secondary and elementary school teachers planned a strike action against the government. Their primary demands were the integration of teachers in the public service. Payment of all wages, payment of complete salary for those receiving 2/3 of their salary. Payment for the unpaid allowances. If demands were not met they would skip classes and the nation’s final examinations which begins annually from May till June. The government in March outlined a number of solutions, each of which would address the complaints of teachers in order to avoid a disastrous outcome.
The demands made by the Cameroon Teachers’ Trade Union (CATTU) were straightforward. In order for them not to act on threats to strike, the government had to pay all allowances. This includes those for more than 40,000 contract Basic Education teachers. Teachers will get research allowances of XAF 15,000 for secondary education and XAF 10,000 for basic education in addition to the existing compensation.
Measures to solve teacher’s grievances by the government
- Starting in April 2022, the Head of State will execute five essential actions.
- Beginning in April 2022, housing allowance will be paid to teachers in the basic education sector who have not yet received it.
- The payment arrears as of July 2022.
- Compensation for financial repercussions after integrating instructors and contract teachers
- A review of the progress made in clearing the backlogs brought on by the integration of contract teachers in the 2023 fiscal year.
- Updating the careers of all personnel of the basic education Ministry and the evaluation of the settlement of the resulting arrears based on the promotion decisions already signed.
Alamine Ousmane Mey, the minister of finance, declared on May 24 during a meeting of the ad hoc committee for negotiations between teachers’ trade union and the government that arrears will be paid by the end of July. The establishment of a National Education Forum, given that the previous forum was held 17 years ago, was one of the numerous alternatives. As of August 28, 2022, arrears are yet to be paid.
By the end of March, both the 5,289 teachers who have not previously receive the non-housing allowance. The 20,449 teachers who had been receiving just two-thirds of their salary started getting them in full. The time needed to handle integration files and teacher promotions has been greatly reduced.
After the strike was put on hold in February, the government has yet to implement all of its plans to help teachers. Organizations like “We Too Supported” and “We Waited Too Much” are adamant that the government carry out its obligations or there won’t be a return to regular classes come September.
Although it was promised that arrears would be paid from July, it is now approaching the end of October and teachers have still not received their arrears payments. trustworthy sources claim that efforts have been made to appease the teachers with the payment of allowances and dues, but the July pledge to make such payments has been postponed until 2023. These organizations listed about 28 issues of dissatisfaction that make up their requests in a document sent to Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.
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Government Stalls to Provide Solution to Teachers’ Grievances
