Morocco's Higher Education Ministry to Implement New Staff System, Address Salary Concerns

The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation has provided a significant update regarding the long-awaited staff system for higher education employees in Morocco. In a recent meeting with a delegation from the National Union of Higher Education Employees, the ministry affirmed its commitment to finalizing and implementing this crucial framework before the current government's term concludes.

This assurance addresses a core demand from the union, which has consistently argued that the new staff system is a fundamental requirement, separate from and more critical than mere salary adjustments. The union stressed that any compensation reforms must not overshadow the necessity of establishing a definitive and fair staff regulation system, which has been pending for over two and a half years.

Regarding salary increases, the ministry presented a detailed proposal. The proposed increment, ranging between 200 and 1300 Moroccan dirhams, is set to be incorporated into the employees' regular pay structure and disbursed in a single payment. However, the union has raised concerns about what it perceives as clear discrimination in the distribution of these increases across different employee categories, warning of potential impacts on the principle of equality. The union also called for retroactive application and a unified compensation value for all staff, integrated into their base salary.

Discussions also encompassed other pressing issues, including the status of employees holding doctoral degrees, for whom the union reiterated the need for appropriate integration based on their qualifications. The ministry indicated that a directive regarding flexible working hours would soon be issued to universities. Additionally, the union advocated for respecting the administrative competencies of higher education staff, prioritizing administrative and technical cadres for managerial roles. The ministry assured that promotion results for engineers, administrators, and supply officers would be finalized soon, and the financial and administrative regularization of new employees would be completed by June.