Ei-iE

A draft agreement has been signed by teachers' unions and the government’s ad hoc committee resulting in a suspension by teachers of strike action. This follows discussions on 22 and 23 January in which the trade unions negotiated a pay rise with the government which will come into effect in April 2014. The discussions were kick-started by the declaration on 20 January by the platform of Haitian teachers' unions to mount an indefinite general strike in pursuit of improved working conditions.

The teachers’ decision to suspend strike action will facilitate ongoing negotiations regarding their other demands and enable classes to resume. The platform of teachers' unions, which includes three EI affiliates in Haiti - the Confédération nationale des éducatrices et éducateurs d’Haïti(CNEH), the Fédération nationale des travailleurs en éducation et en culture(FENATEC), and the Union nationale des normaliens d’Haïti(UNNOH) are demanding special status for teachers, a pay rise accompanied by a new pay scale taking account of qualifications and experience, and the appointment of contract teachers.

Poor working conditions

A recent EI study has revealed the many challenges faced by Haitian teachers including unpaid wages, very low pay, inadequate pensions, a lack of qualified teachers, poor quality training infrastructure and a lack of infrastructure, school equipment and canteens.

In a letter to the President of Haiti, EI expressed its support for the platform of Haitian teachers' unions in its fight to improve the conditions of public sector teachers and called for the authorities to accept their demands for improved working conditions.

EI will continue to monitor the situation of teachers in Haiti closely.