A group of unions representing primary and secondary education teachers has announced a new protest plan aimed at securing demands such as salary and allowance increases, repealing the (5+2) decision, and opening inter-district transfers for recruits.
According to a joint statement by nine unions, the protest plan will begin with a week-long nationwide strike starting February 12.
The statement further outlines additional measures, including protest sit-ins at regional education offices across the interior states and a resumption of the teaching strike on April 9, lasting for 14 days.
The unions emphasized that these actions aim to pressure authorities into meeting the teachers’ demands, which include:
- Providing adequate housing for education sector workers.
- Reclaiming amounts unlawfully deducted by banks in violation of financial regulations.
- Offering a “chalk allowance” for education service providers.
- Expediting the permanent employment of education service providers and enabling transfers and exchanges for them.
Other demands include:
- Disbursing service providers’ salaries at the beginning of each month.
- Providing contractual agents with housing, furnishing, and urban transportation allowances.
- Accelerating the chalk allowance payment process.
- Fast-tracking the fourth batch of recruitment exams, initially scheduled for completion by the end of 2024.
- Classifying primary schools as educational institutions.
- Enhancing the teaching of national languages.
- Signing the final agreement on dialogue in accordance with the technical committee protocols signed between union representatives and the ministry.
The unions that signed the statement are:
- National Union for Public Education (SNEP)
- Independent National Union of Teachers (SNIDE)
- Mauritanian Union for the Primary Education Movement (SMMEF)
- Association of Mauritanian School Directors (ARDEM)
- Union of Lesson Supervisors (UDE)
- Union for Permanent Employment
- Mauritanian Teachers’ Union (SEM)
- Education Service Providers Union (NAMU)
- Union of Senior Mauritanian Teachers (NARMAM).
