Government, labour unions agree on regular salary payment

The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and six labour unions have reached an agreement on the regular payment of salaries, a union official told IRIN on Tuesday. A representative of the Union Syndicale des Travailleurs de Centrafrique, Noel Ramadan, said the agreement was reached on Saturday following negotiations held on 22-25 March and on 2, 7 and 9 April. The negotiations were held with the aim of preserving peace during the transitional period, he said. Under the agreement, the government undertook to pay salaries regularly and to be transparent about state revenues, Ramadan said. "We care for our country, that's why we took part in the negotiations and the government has been sensitive to our claims," Jean Richard Sandos, a unionist representing the Confederation Nationale des Travailleurs de Centrafrique, said. In a communiqué issued after the signing of the agreement, the government said its plan to reduce salaries would not affect civil servants earning less than the local equivalent of US $400. Prime Minister Celestin Leroy Gaombalet said on state-owned Radio Centrafrique that the government was pleased with the agreement. "Fruitful thinking of both parties proved that in [a] partnership consensus always produces good results, provided no one seeks to take all the credit," he was quoted as saying. The government started paying December salaries on 5 April and classes have resumed in all schools as teachers ended their strike over non-payment.