Teachers strike continues amid governorates arrest campaign [Archives:2006/931/Local News]
SANA'A, March 22 ) As a teachers strike continues in most governorates, security apparatuses resorted Monday and Tuesday, March 20-21 to an arrest campaign of syndicate activists and discharging others from their posts.
In a press statement, teachers' syndicate head Ahmed Al-Rubahi said Aden and Shabwa security authorities arrested a number of striking teachers in an effort to break the strike. Approximately 25 Shabwa teachers were taken from their schools and interrogated at security offices. Teachers also were arrested at Al-Buriqa, Sheikh Osman, Al-Mansora and other Aden governorate schools. Aden political security and governorate police arrested Ali Mohamed Al-Doais, Abdullah Moqbel, Habeeb Mahadi and Jalal Isa.
Teachers in several governorates conducted sit-ins and processions to education offices in response to calls by teachers and education professionals syndicates. The teachers' demands are summed up in their call to set their job situations according to teachers' law, not according to the recently implemented wage strategy which offers them lower salaries than those under teachers' law.
The strike in Hajja governorate schools led education authorities to arbitrarily fire many of those striking. In a statement, the syndicate attributed security and education procedures to the strike's success, describing such procedures as arbitrary and resulting from authorities' hysteria concerning the teachers. They went on to say that such actions, constituting all sorts of job terrorism against them, violate teachers' rights.
In a press conference, the two syndicates confirmed the broad response from teachers to their call, thereby revealing their refusal of government procedures. The syndicates affirmed that the teachers strike will continue until all their legal demands are fulfilled.
Education Minister Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Jufi defended the government's refusal of the teachers' demands, alleging that political parties are seeking to exploit the teachers and their case at the advent of elections. Al-Jufi advised the teachers to resort to the judiciary instead of striking.
The teachers' strike has paralyzed most schools, halting instruction in some while others operate only half the time.
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