Author:Samuel Bogale
Lecturers at various universities in Ethiopia have formally requested the government to increase wages and make adjustment on their work grades in unison, or face consequences that may result in strikes.
Associations of various universities’ teachers have been issuing their stances unilaterally calling for promotion to a higher work grades and salary adjustment under their respective associations.
On August 3, 2022, the associations issued an ultimatum addressing the Ministry of Education, Civil Service Commission, Ethiopian Teachers Association, and Government Whip & Human Resource Development Standing Committee at the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR).
In their letter, the lecturers’ associations explained that for any action the teachers might take, which may result in a massive crisis affecting the educational processes, the students and their families, executives of the associations aren’t responsible.
“We request for the Ministry of Education or any concerned government organ to receive our requests and provide a positive response in good time,” the letter reads.
Several lecturers through their own platforms have been calling for strikes. Initially it was planned to happen during the current month but later postponed to September, at a time when the academic year begins.
Yohannes Benti (PhD), who leads the Ethiopian Teachers Association as its president, has been following the case closely. The university teachers associations are under his office’s umbrella. He was participating in the overall Job Evaluation and Grading (JEG) studies since 2014 until coming to application in 2019 with 22 work grades.
With the back and forth agreements among the association, the Ministry and the Civil Service Commission, the scales have been adjusted to the general education teachers in high school.
“We were focused on the general education teachers first that the scales for university lecturers were overlooked. The question then begun to arise by them after seeing what the high school teachers with same level of education are getting,” Yohannes said.
University lecturers now have 11,305 birr gross monthly salary, while teachers in high school with bachelor’s degree are getting paid 12,500 birr a month, but those with a master degree in high school are even getting over 13,000 birr salary, Yohannes explained.
Since the application of JEG in 2019 on all civil servants with 22 work grades, the lecturers requested for a revision of the study for higher education and application plans in three alternatives. This was submitted to the Ministry in mid-October of last year to upgrade their salary scales.
However, the Ministry shrugged this study off and implemented a new JEG effective last June 30, 2022, which the lecturers claimed is not considerate of the current economic situation in the country as well as their initiations for work.
The Ethiopian Teachers Association has over 700,000 member teachers, among which about 40,000 are university lecturers.
One of them, a lecturer at Hawassa University teaching aquatic science, whose name is withheld upon his request, is contemplating whether to leave his job for a better pay or not. His family member teaching in high school is netting 2,000 birr more than what he earns now monthly.
“I’m only waiting to see a change in September. I don’t care whether the law is against us or in favor of us, what else we can do about it,” he said.
Yohannes is not in favor of the strike measure the teachers are planning to take. “They should be more patient about it,” he said.
The Ministry acknowledges the requests from the lecturers and refrained from explaining further except that a new study is underway to assess the situation and come up with possible solutions.
There are some activities to figure out what to do, according Amelework Hizkeal, communications director at the Ministry, who also said that there was the same concern last year as well.
“Salary issue isn’t the mandate only the Education Ministry solves as they are also civil servants, and the Civil Service Commission should also be involved,” Amelework said.
President of Debre Markos University, Teffera Melaku (PhD), whose university’s teachers association signed on the letter, claimed to have no full information about the issue until he received updates from the Ministry’s officials in a meeting a few days ago.
“It would be good to see the situation the country is at now, and ask if this is really a more burning issue now,” Teffera said.
President of Adama Science and Technology University, Lemi Guta (PhD) said that he is unaware of such complaints at his university and that there is no any issue regarding actions the teachers will take at his campus.