Protests, Strikes in Morocco Highlight Growing Discontent Over Government Policies
Morocco is witnessing a wave of protests and strikes that lay bare the failure of government policies and their inability to address the deteriorating situation across a number of sectors.
In this context, the National Coordination of Preschool Education Teachers organized protests outside regional education directorates on Tuesday, coinciding with a countrywide strike.
Protests were held against what the coordination described as a policy of exploitation and job insecurity within the sector, and constitutes a bold message exposing the government’s failure to protect workers in the sector and ensure the stability of public education.
The coordination said teachers are grappling with several issues, most notably delayed salary payments, the adoption of a tranche-based payment system, the absence of professional stability, non-compliance with certain provisions of labor law and minimum wage regulations, as well as the suppression of those demanding their rights and their exclusion from benefiting from the professional transfer scheme.
In the context of ongoing protests, the Higher Education Union affirmed that the sector is experiencing a state of heightened tension following the final adoption of the Higher Education Law, amid the absence of stakeholder participation and the reversal of previous commitments related to the demands of workers.
The union reaffirmed its opposition to the law and announced an escalation of its protest actions in defense of the autonomy of public universities and their academic freedom.
The union announced a nationwide strike on the 3rd and 4th of March, to be followed by a protest rally, while keeping the Administrative Committee meeting open until the 12th of April to assess developments and decide on further steps.
