US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1734

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001734 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LABOR FOR DOL/ILAB TFAULKNER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015 
TAGS: ELAB, ECON, PGOV, SOCI, CG 
SUBJECT: TEACHER'S STRIKE ENDS IN KINSHASA, CONTINUES IN 
PROVINCES 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 1502 
     B. KINSHASA 1672 
 
Classified By: EconCouns G. Groth: Reason: 1.4 b/d 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Striking teachers in public elementary, 
secondary, and professional schools in Kinshasa agreed to go 
back to work beginning Monday, October 17.  The final GDRC 
salary offer was accepted in principle and a dozen 
presidential decrees that promoted approximately 6000 
higher-level teachers and administrators in Kinshasa helped 
to seal the deal.  Their fellow union members in the 
provinces, however, have not followed their example and 
remain away from classrooms. End summary. 
 
2. (C) Public school teachers from the elementary and 
secondary school levels have been on strike since September 5 
(ref A).  Six weeks into the strike, on Friday, October 14, 
the two striking public teachers' unions (SYECO and SYNECAT) 
announced that they would accept in principle the GDRC offer 
of between USD 50 and 100 per month, to be paid beginning on 
or about October 20.  From all appearances, the membership 
has responded in Kinshasa, where all schools are open and 
well-attended on Monday, October 17. 
 
3. (C) Part of the GDRC package that eventually convinced the 
unions to return to work was a series of presidential 
decrees, a dozen in all, that were announced on Friday, 
October 14.  These decrees promoted some 6000 union members 
in Kinshasa, all at the high end of the new pay scale.  There 
was an indication that the promotions would continue at a 
steady rate to cover members outside Kinshasa and at lower 
administrative levels. 
 
4. (C) Public school attendance outside of the capital was 
poor, as teachers' union members in the provinces did not 
rush to accept the GDRC offer.  As noted last week (ref B), 
the public school teachers in the provinces are unhappy with 
the disparities between bonuses paid in Kinshasa (for 
example, transport) and those in the provinces, and they have 
now noted that the decrees so far only concern higher level 
teachers in Kinshasa. 
 
5. (C) Comment:  Progress has been made in resolving the 
dispute which has kept so many children out of school, but 
only Kinshasa seems back to normal.  GDRC offer, plus the 
promotions accorded, will do to the 2006 budget as more 
teachers are paid higher salaries at higher pay grades.  The 
spin-off effect on other civil servants is something to be 
closely watched.  We expect the IMF team, which is in the DRC 
this week to look at the 2006 budget, is already focusing on 
the effects of these salary increases.  End comment. 
MEECE