Government ready to carry on dialogue with education sector unions
Morocco, Politics, 11/30/2001

The Moroccan government said it was ready to carry on dialogue with the trade unions of the education sector to reach results that take into account the legitimate interests of the teaching staff as well as the difficult juncture Morocco is going through in view of successive years of drought.

The statement was made by Moroccan minister of culture and communication, Mohamed Achaari, at a press briefing following the cabinet weekly meeting held under the chairmanship of Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

Achaari said dialogue that would be attended by concerned parties would be chaired by the Prime Minister and should be marked by a common determination to reach a satisfactory solution for all.

Teachers had staged a strike November 13-14 and sit-ins in front of the offices of the ministry of education and the ministry of finance in all the cities of the kingdom to press on with their claims and prompt the government live up to commitments it made in the frame of the protocol of accord passed with trade unions on December 10, 2000.

The sit-in in Rabat before the ministry of finance on November 14 was marred by clashes between strikers and security agents.

Achaari renewed the cabinet's regret at the incidents that took place during the demonstrations staged by the education sector unions and insisted on the government's concern to see these demonstrations take place in the frame of the rule of the law, free from any excess.

He recalled that the government has set up a ministerial commission to investigate on these incidents and take the necessary measures.

The teachers are planning to stage another three-day "national strike" December 11-13 at the call of three Moroccan trade unions. A national march is also scheduled to be held in Rabat after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Some 215,500 teachers are working in the Moroccan public education sector, including 121,763 in the primary education, 84,024 in secondary education and 9,701 in higher education.

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