Broadcast on 5 November 2003

In the morning of 5 November, about 1,300 community [local government employed] teachers [Note 1] who had been laid off last year gathered at the entrance of the local government offices. They carried banners with slogans, demanding the government fulfill its promises of giving equal treatment to both community and government schoolteachers. An official from the Suizhou City Government confirmed with us that the teacher's delegates have been negotiating with the leadership of the city government since the morning of 5 November.

City Government:

Well, we're solving the problem now.

Han Dongfang (Han):

When did it begin today?

City Government:

Probably this morning.

Han:

What are their [the teachers] chief demands?

City Government:

They urge the Government to act according to state stipulations. Maybe some of them don't really understand that this is an inherited problem. Things have been like this [for a long time]. I'm not clear about the details. You may call the education bureau to ask them.

Han:

Have the teachers sent representatives?

City Government:

Sure they have.

Han:

Which government departments are taking part in the negotiations?

City Government:

The city leadership, including different education bureau offices, is now talking with the teachers.

Han:

What do you mean by "an inherited problem"?

City Government:

The problem started in the 1990s. This is a complicated issue. I'm…because I don't take care of these things…I told you that I don't know this issue very well.

Han:

Are they asking for money? Or asking for posts?

City Government:

I'm not sure about the details. Each one is a different case.

Han:

How many people are there?

City Government:

We haven't calculated. Call the education bureau for the details. That's it!

An official from Suizhou Education Bureau said she didn't know how things were progressing. She also said that the vice-president of the education bureau, who is also the Chairman of the local education trade union, is not taking part in the negotiation:

Education Bureau:

About this [protest]? I still don't know much about this.

Han:

Which department of the education bureau is responsible for taking care of it?

Education Bureau:

I haven't worked it out. I have to make a call to ask the details.

Han:

Has the education bureau sent anyone to tackle the case?

Education Bureau:

It seems that we haven't sent anybody to tackle the problem today.

Han:

Who is responsible for handling the case today?

Education Bureau:

You're talking about which governmental department?

Han:

Right.

Education Bureau:

Then it should be the Complaints Bureau of the Government!

Han:

Do you mean that the Complaints Bureau is dealing with the case?

Education:

Ah! Right. It should be the Complaints Bureau.

Han:

Do you have any education trade union?

Education:

Yes, we do. Our comrade in the trade union is now attending a General Meeting. He is the only person in the trade union - no other person here.

Han:

Who is that person?

Education Bureau:

He's the vice-chairman of the trade union.

Han:

How about the Chairman?

Education Bureau:

We don't have a chairman here. A vice-president of the [education] Bureau is acting as a deputy for the chairman of the trade union. He is now at another meeting today.

A teacher from Tianhekuo Town Primary School in Zengdou District, Suizhou City told us that in his school they have reemployed three supply teachers who had been laid off by the school. He said that when they were dismissed these teachers could only get an allowance of 200 Yuan for each working year in school. Moreover, when they are reemployed by the school, they can only get one-fourth of the government [public] schoolteachers' salary.

Teacher:

The salary for reemployment is low. People are not willing to accept the job.

Han:

What's the standard salary for reemployed teachers?

Teacher:

Salary… 2,600 Yuan a year.

Han:

How about public schoolteachers?

Teacher:

Public schoolteachers can get more than 10,000 Yuan, alas…

Han:

Does your school have reemployed teachers?

Teacher:

We do!

Han:

How many?

Teacher:

Four to five…five teachers.

Han:

Have you heard about their petition?

Teacher:

They have petitioned several times. Their demands include fulfilling the transfer of teachers. It used to be a goal [of the government]. Yet after the goal was set, the government encountered financial difficulties. Afterwards, due to limited budgets, the goal of transferring teachers became meaningless.

Han:

Has the government fulfilled its promises on the transfer to public school teaching posts?

Teacher:

No.

Han:

What was the detail of the promise?

Teacher:

500 [teachers to be transferred] each year. Anyway, they haven't reached the goal. It was only discovered after the petitions. That's why the protesters are using it as a reason to complain about the government.

Han:

Do you think their demands are reasonable to a certain extent?

Teacher:

Sure they are reasonable to safeguard their interests. Many of them have been working in schools for tens of years; some more than ten years. Using their own words, their youth has been wasted. When they were useful, they got a job; when they became useless, the government kicked them out. That's the point.

Han:

When they were dismissed, did they get a compensation for each working year?

Teacher:

They did get some compensation. Just a small amount. Some 200 Yuan for each year of service. Say you have taught for ten years, and then you can only get some 2,000 Yuan. Too little. Definitely too little.

A reemployed primary schoolteacher from Zengdou District, who had been dismissed last year, said that only after the teacher's previous petition to the City Government after the summer holidays in 2003 did the Government gives half of the severance allowance for the previous year:

Teacher:

I'm a primary school teacher. I've been teaching for nearly 20 years. After being laid off, I returned to the school to teach for two years. When we were dismissed, they said we would have severance allowance. Yet we haven't got the money. In recent years, the teachers waged sit-ins at the District Government several times. Then the leadership paid attention to us. Community schoolteachers like us then went to the village government to ask for payment. Then the village government agreed to pay half of the allowance – that is 1,400 Yuan. The other half - 1,400 Yuan - hasn't been released yet. They promised to settle it next year.

She then pointed out that the collective actions of the teachers are rational. She also said that the teachers now are united together and that they won't stop fighting until they have secured their own interests:

Teacher:

It's easy to explain why the teachers are so united. It's safe to say that the teachers have their own reason to be so. It's because now…if…I think… if you ask teachers about what they feel, most would tell you that they feel hurt. They all feel very miserable now. Another reason is that they have made great endeavors in their own profession.

Han:

What are you going to do then?

Teachers:

I believe we will insist upon the action. Being a teacher, we basically lodged the petition in a civilized way. This is the first criterion, and we basically fulfilled it. Secondly, when we make a petition, we won't kick up a fuss, and they won't behave radically. No such behaviour. No excessive behaviour. We petition in such a way. We basically follow the criteria of a [proper] petition.

Han:

Do you think if this kind of action will accomplish results?

Teacher:

I think, well, this should achieve some results. It's because the teachers have been working hard and earnestly for many years. I think the leadership would think in this way.

Note 1: There are several categories of teachers in the Chinese educational system. Teachers employed at locally run or lower level schools (such as primary schools or township schools) are called "minban" [literally civil teachers]. They have generally undergone some form of teacher training but have only taken lower level teaching certification. Other teachers working in city schools or higher levels schools, such as secondary schools, are called "gongban" [literally public teachers]. In general these teachers have had higher training and have taken higher level certificates of teaching. These schools are generally better equipped and with more facilities. In addition, ‘gongban" teachers are seen as full government employees and have higher wages, more job security and full pension rights. There has been a national drive to enable ‘mingban' teachers to undergo training and take the certificates which would enable them to become ‘gongban' teachers. However, in practice the majority of "mingban" teachers have not been transferred. In some areas, former ‘gongban' teachers have been dismissed and re-employed as ‘mingban' with reductions in wages, security and pension rights.