Thousands of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, who went on strike on April 17, 2024, have suspended their industrial action until July 5, 2024. The teachers, mainly intern graduates employed in 2019, are demanding for permanent and pensionable terms of service from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Suspension of Strike
The teachers have temporarily called off their strike to pave the way for the approval of the 2024/2025 budget by the National Assembly. Mr. Omari Omari, the national spokesman for the JSS teachers, said the suspension is subject to condition and will hold as long as the TSC will address their demands. The teachers have asked their colleagues to resume classes from June 10, 2024.
Key Demands
The main demand is the confirmation of all 46,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms. This has been the most contentious issue, with teachers saying this offer is exploitative and illegal. According to Mr. Omari, deliberations with the National Assembly’s select committees on labor and education have led to the presentation of these demands to the budget committee, and they are subject to the approval of parliament.
Government and TSC Response
The National Assembly Committee on Education had warned TSC to start converting 26,000 interns to permanent staff come July 2024. The stand of the JSS teachers to suspend the strike shows goodwill to engage further, but they have to remain steadfast on their demands. They expect to hear from the TSC immediately parliament approves the budget in terms of them being confirmed.
Volunteering Until July 5
As a show of good faith, the teachers have agreed to resume their work but as volunteers, not interns, for the next four weeks. This shows that despite the stand-off, they are committed to the welfare of the learners. They, however, say they will resume their street protests if their demands are not met by July 5.