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Rabat – The National Union of Higher Education and University Residence Staff, affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labour (CDT), has announced an unprecedented escalation in protests, warning it may boycott the upcoming academic year.
The union is preparing to launch a series of strikes and sit-ins at university institutions across the country if the government continues to disregard its demands.
In a statement released Thursday, the union accused the Ministry of Higher Education of showing clear disregard for the concerns of administrative and technical staff. It condemned what it described as the Ministry’s persistent refusal to engage in “serious and responsible” dialogue and vowed to intensify its protest strategy in response.
The announcement came after an extraordinary session of the union’s National Council, held Wednesday, which focused on assessing previous mobilizations and setting out the next phase of protest amid mounting discontent in the sector.
Following what was described as a sincere and constructive internal dialogue, members of the National Council called for stronger mobilization at the start of the new academic year. They see this moment as a decisive opportunity to defend the dignity of public service workers and to push for the creation—through genuine consultation with relevant stakeholders—of a “comprehensive, fair, and inclusive fundamental status” for higher education staff.
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The union’s leadership also raised alarm over what it views as increasing violations of union freedoms. It cited incidents of retaliation against union members by the administrations of several institutions, including the presidency of Mohammed V University in Rabat, the National Schools of Commerce and Management (ENCG) in Casablanca and Kenitra, the National School of Applied Sciences (ENSAM) in Rabat, the Faculty of Letters in El Jadida, the Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FST) in Settat, the Higher School of Technology (EST) in Beni Mellal, and the Human Resources Directorate at the Ministry of Higher Education.
The Council further criticized certain labor unions for allegedly aligning with university administrations instead of defending the interests of workers. It also denounced what it called the exploitation of doctoral students, part-time lecturers, and outsourced company workers to undermine strike efforts and disrupt sit-ins organized by the union.
To conclude, the national union bureau urged all higher education and university housing staff to unite around their representative body and prepare for the next phase of collective action. The union reaffirmed its determination to fight for a just and equitable fundamental status for all categories of staff in Morocco’s higher education and university accommodation sectors.
