On June 23, a caller from Suizhou, Hubei Province told us that about 200 private schoolteachers gathered at the entrance of the city government offices, demanding the payment of severance allowances promised to them by the government when it laid off teachers last year. An official from the Suizhou city government confirmed that the leadership from both the city and the provincial governments have come to the scene to negotiate with the teachers representatives:
Official:
Well, now
our leadership is now tackling the problem.
Han Dongfang [Han]:
What is their [the protestors] chief demand?
Official:
Up till now,
. Im still not sure for the time being.
Han:
Are they still gathering at the entrance?
Official:
Ah, thats right.
Han:
How many people are there now?
Official:
Several tens of people.
Han:
I heard that there are around one to two hundred people.
Official:
But right here I can only see about several tens of people at the entrance. We are sure that in this incident our main officials
those more senior ones
are now tackling the problem. The leadership have gone there, too theyve also visited the Complaints Bureau to look into the case.
Han:
When did they go there?
Official:
They only came here in the afternoon.
Han:
Which kind of schoolteachers are they - private or public?
Official:
Should be from the private [I think].
Another official from Suizhou Education Bureau pointed out that the leadership of the Education Bureau also went to the gathering, but that the Education Trade Union did not participate in the negotiation:
Official:
Well, in our Bureau
the director has just gone there, and other officials from the Education Bureau of Zengdou District also went there earlier in the morning
We are not very sure; weve just received a call from the Complaints Bureau. Our director has just reached the scene. He probably doesnt know very much about the current situation.
Han:
Is there any education trade union in Suizhou?
Official:
Yes, there is! But
we now only have got a vice-chairman for the Union and today he has taken a day-off.
Director Cao of Suizhou Zengdou District Education Bureau informed us on the telephone that more than 2,500 teachers were laid off last year [2002] in Zengdou District. Director Cao also said that the severance allowances are calculated on the basis of monthly salaries multiplied by years of teaching service, but that the teachers did not have the opportunity to discuss with the government the allowance rates:
Director Cao:
Their case is like this: in 2002, a policy was introduced in Zengdou District concerning the one-off dismissal of more than 2,500 teachers in order to thoroughly solve the problem of [excessive] private schoolteachers. 500 of them were allowed to transfer to public school teaching posts upon passing tests and examinations; some older teachers with many years of service retired under Hubei Province stipulations, but the remaining teachers were dismissed once for all. After being laid off, a newly introduced policy states that they can get one-month salary for every year of service.
Han:
That is the allowance for one year of service?
Director Cao:
Ah
the one-off [living] allowance is calculated on the years of service multiplied by the monthly salary they got then they are laid off.
Han:
Was this rate discussed with the teachers when it was introduced?
Director Cao:
The policy originates from a document released by the district government.
Han:
Was there any room for the teacher to bargain?
Director Cao:
Oh
this
.it seems
. there was no such thing.
Han:
Have the teachers received the money as stated in the stipulations?
Director Cao:
Some of them havent. At that time, it was planned that the policy would be carried out in three years - step by step, with a portion of the severance allowance to be given each year. Now only the portion coming from the local government has not yet been settled
But the [local] governments do acknowledge the debt; they will proceed with the payment step by step. Some local governments are not in good financial condition they can only give the teachers a part of the allowance. Now the private schoolteachers are getting irritated, waging a petition and seeking the officials responsible! Complaining about the situation.
A teacher from the Central School of Tienhe Village, Zengdao District, Suizhou said in an interview that when the government made the private schoolteachers redundant last year, the severance allowance was in fact computed on a monthly rate of RMB 180 [c.US $21.75], multiplied by years of service. Using this calculation in retrenchment policy, the compensation private schoolteachers got was only RMB 180 for each year of service.
Teacher:
In our school there are
about three to four (displaced) teachers.
Han:
Didn't they get the one-off severance allowance?
Teacher:
As yet no. The situation is like this: last year the government dismissed them all. The government should be responsible for the severance allowance. Later, at the end of the year, the government just paid the salaries of private schoolteachers, but didnt give the severance allowance in cash. Concerning the rate of allowance, the teachers didnt have any disagreement at that time, but surely it is too low now
(laugh)
Han:
Isnt it based on the rate of monthly salary multiplied by years of service?
Teacher:
Seems that's not the case!
Han:
What is it then?
Teacher:
For a month
it is something like RMB 180 about RMB 180
Han:
Then it should be RMB 180 for each year of service in teaching?
Teacher:
Thats correct.
Han:
Everybody gets the same rate?
Teacher:
Thats correct.
However, after the one-off dismissal of some 2,500 private schoolteachers, Zengdao now faces a shortage of teachers. Director Cao, the director of the local Education Bureau we spoke to earlier reported that;
Director Cao:
Zengdao district had more than 3,000 private schoolteachers. 500 of them have been transferred to public schools but more than 2,000 people remain.
Han:
After the dismissals, have you got enough teachers?
Director Cao:
In the current shortage in schoolteachers, our policy is: if a school has a definite need for teachers, we can recall some displaced [laid off] private schoolteachers as supply teachers. Now there are some 1,000 supply teachers. These supply teachers are asked to sign a contract with the school, stating that they will be dismissed again when the school no longer needs them. After signing the contract, the teachers will do their best in teaching, and the administration of teachers can also be strengthened. Let me put it in this way: these private schoolteachers contribute a lot to the development of local education and they would feel uneasy if they could not transfer to public school teaching after devoting a whole life in teaching. Yet under such financial conditions, and the demand for teachers in the future, the dismissal of private schoolteachers is inevitable.
What are the current employment terms for supply teachers who were once dismissed by the government? A teacher from the Central School in the town of Hongshan, Zhendao district, Suizhou city gave us this view:
Teacher:
More than 60 private schoolteachers come back to teaching posts.
Han:
As supply teachers?
Teacher:
Right, as supply teachers.
Han:
Whats the difference in their employment terms when compared with the past?
Teacher:
They have signed a contract with the school, with salaries of RMB 300 per month.
Han:
Isnt that about RMB 100 lower than before?
Teacher:
Yeah!
Han:
As a public schoolteacher, do you have any medical insurance and retirement pension?
Teacher:
Yes.
Han:
How about those reemployed private schoolteachers?
Teacher:
No such an arrangement for the reemployed. We only
the medical insurance are for the public schoolteachers only.