The National Office (BN) of the Autonomous Union of Higher Education (SAES) published a press release dated November 23, 2024 to comment on the university situation, after a meeting held on Friday November 22 in Dakar.
Based on the analysis of the minutes of the latest campus General Assemblies, the SAES made the following observations:
“The non-compliance with the commitments made by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) during its tours in public universities, with the immediate consequences of disruptions in the educational activities of certain universities .
Postponing indefinitely the measures announced by the MESRI at the end of the seminar on the stabilization of the academic calendar.
The flagrant violation of article 3 of law no. 2015-26 of December 28, 2015 relating to public universities, as well as article 2 of decree no. 2016-1805 concerning the orientation of baccalaureate holders. In fact, quotas of baccalaureate graduates well above those defined by the academic authorities of the universities were sent without adequate support measures, which disrupts the organization of the establishments.
Recurrent delays in the payment of salaries in public universities, as well as the non-payment of contributions deducted from the salaries of teacher-researchers and researchers to the National Retirement Fund (FNR).
Non-compliance with the SAES-Government memorandum of understanding of January 6, 2023, in particular concerning the survivor’s pension of deceased teacher-researchers and researchers.
Concerning this last point, the SAES was informed that a decree modifying decree no. 2020-1788 of September 23, 2020, creating a special retirement allowance for teacher-researchers and tenured researchers at universities, adopted during the council of ministers of February 28, 2024, “mysteriously” disappeared in the “meanders of the administration”.
The SAES, after denouncing this unacceptable fact in an organized State, nevertheless accepted the MESRI proposal to reintroduce a new version of the decree with a view to its signature. However, the union informs that this new version, announced several times by the MESRI, “has still not been signed, without the real reasons being known”.
Consequently, the SAES notes that “the absence of lasting solutions to these problems, combined with the non-delivery of educational and social infrastructures, the shortage of teachers and the insufficiency of budgets, constitute all obstacles to a return to a normal academic year This accumulation of difficulties seriously compromises the stability of the higher education sub-sector, despite the efforts made by researchers and teacher-researchers.
During its meeting with the delegation of the High Council for Social Dialogue (HCDS) on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the SAES reaffirmed its openness and availability for the pacification of the university space. However, he clarified that the question of the reversion of pensions to the beneficiaries of deceased teacher-researchers and researchers remains a non-negotiable question of justice and equity, enshrined in Law No. 81-52 on the Pensions Code. civil and military
