Ethiopian Teachers' Association

The Ethiopian Teachers' Association (ETA;

The ICFTU reports ongoing difficulties and harassment of trade union members by government security forces, and specifically notes the ETA. Dr. Taye Woldesemayat, president of the ETA, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment in 1996, but was released from prison in May 2002 after 6 years.^[3] In 2005, security forces occupied the ETA headquarters in Addis Ababa for two weeks, taking vital documents and equipment, and detained six members. Since then, ETA members have been under persistent attack, with more than 20 teachers dismissed for allegedly supporting opposition political parties.^[4]

Another act of government harassment started in 1993, when the Ethiopian government created a splinter group with close ties to itself, known as the "New ETA", and began to redirect the ETA’s union dues to it. The original group fought this act in court, twice succeeding in getting the High Court to overturn the government's act in 2006, although these judgments were never enforced.^[4] However in a ruling announced 21 June 2007, the Federal High Court ruled against the original ETA, and ordered the ETA to hand over property, other assets, and its name; the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia denied an appeal 7 February 2008, effectively ending the legal struggle.^[5]

However, harassment of current and former members by the government reportedly continues. Tilahun Ayalew, chairman of the

• ISBN 978-0-9543811-5-8
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• ILO interview with Taye Woldesemayat

References