ANOTHER attempt will be made today to end the teachers dispute which has seen strikes
cripple Phnom Penh University and a number of high schools.
While the strike's effect and support has been hard to gauge this week due to the
end of the semester and Chinese new year holiday, which has meant many teaching institutions
have been closed, the dispute is continuing.
A number of schools have said their teachers have returned to work but teachers representatives
said that further industrial action was likely if there was no resolution at today's
meetings with deputy prime minister Sar Kheng.
Attempts have been made over the last week to end the walk out which has centered
on the low pay rates for teachers. Sar Kheng has had two meeting with teacher representatives
so far and another is scheduled for today.
Ten professors from the university of Phnom Penh met Sar Kheng and co-ministers of
interior on February 11 to talk about settling the strike.
Prof Ly Phatsem, was one of those who attended. He said that three points were raised
in the talks that day: that their salaries be progressively increased to $300 a month,
salaries to be paid on time and an additional payment for extra work.
He said that Sar Kheng agreed on the last two points, but not to the pay rise which
he said was impossible because they did not have the money.
However he said that Kheng told them that the Government was in the process of instituting
administrative reforms such as eliminating ghost soldiers and police, and then would
put the money saved towards education.
"HE Kheng has pledged us that in the year 2000, the government would increase
the salary, but he did not mention how much.
"And furthermore, HE Kheng said if the government was not able to increase [salaries],
he, himself would step down, and the government should also step down," Prof
Lyphatsem said.
Those assurances have gone some way towards lessening tension, but the matter is
still unresolved.
With government claiming poverty teachers are now looking to a compromise that involves
a reduction in teaching hours.
"We proposed that for the superior educational professors, the teaching time
should be cut from twelve hours per week to six or seven hours," he said.
He said he was optimistic that an acceptable solution would be reached at today's
meeting but if there wasn't the industrial action would continue.
"If there is not an acceptable solution, we still go on strike," he said.
Sar Kheng said that he could not give any indication of the likely outcome of the
meeting because he has been too busy to examine the latest proposal which he believes
might be detrimental to the standard of education.
"I cannot respond, a consultation is required because it would affect the student's
study," he said.
He acknowledged that the teachers did have a good case to demand better pay and conditions
however he said it was not practical at the moment.
"The war in our country has just ended, the government has just been formed
for less than two months, this is a tough request.
"They should let the government breath for while, to aspirate for a period of
time," he commented.
Meanwhile there are some indications that teacher solidarity is starting to wane.
Tep Sokun, deputy director of Sisowat High School said that the teachers at his school
had returned to work a week ago.
He denied that they had been forced back to work.
"There have been staff from the ministry of interior coming here to collect
information but there was no intimidation."
Meanwhile teaching staff at the Institute of Technology have resumed work, but they
want the government to keep considering their claims and at the same time try and
clamp down on corruption in an effort to free up some money for education.
Prof Pok Leakreasey said there was a large financial gap between teachers and other
civil servants who were lining their pockets by corruption.
"The teachers are getting poorer and poorer, what we want from the government
is the determination to eliminate corruption so that more state revenue is available
for teachers and other civil servants," he said.
