Council of Ministers: Raïssa Malu insists on the liquidation of specific bonuses for teachers and central service staff

Raïssa Malu, Minister of State and Minister of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC), emphasized during the Cabinet meeting on Friday, July 5, 2024, the need to implement the agreements signed in Bibwa between the teachers’ unions and the Government to ensure a peaceful start to the 2024–2025 school year. She also urged the Minister of Finance to ensure that the Government honors the commitments made in her sector to guarantee social peace and a favorable working environment. This is according to the minutes read by Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya Katembwe. Ms. Raïssa Malu recalled in this regard that on March 16, 2023, a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the union representatives, marking the conclusion of the joint committee’s work. “This agreement notably provided for the coverage of expenses related to the monthly deficit in teachers’ salaries, including specific bonuses,” she noted. She raised the issue of the bonus for specific supervisory roles and those of inspectors, requesting that it be included in the final accounts to ensure regular payments to the ministry’s staff and executives. Originally scheduled for April 2024, payment of this bonus has been postponed to July 2024. However, the head of the National Education sub-sector noted that the budget allocation available for these payments did not reach the agreed amount, which is unlikely to ease tensions within her sub-sector, where protests by staff and executives from central services were reported this week. The protesters are demanding payment of the bonus, better known as the “equity bonus.” According to the government spokesperson, the Council of Ministers took note of the statement by Minister of State Raïssa Malu. Célestin Zeula