The teachers will hold a warning strike on Wednesday for two hours. The protest could also be followed by a general strike next week. Teachers’ complaints are related to salaries.
The leaders of the education trade unions announced the results of the referendum through which the teaching staff expressed their opinion regarding the initiation of the general strike. According to the results of this consultation, more than 71% of FSLI trade unionists want a general strike starting on May 22. At the last strike 18 years ago, the percentage of those who started the labor conflict was 60%.
The warning strike will take place May 17 between 11.00 and 13.00. Teachers will not hold their classes and the children will only be supervised. Teaching staff who are part of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education (FSLI) will participate in the protest. Thus, 75,400 teaching staff will not enter tomorrow between 11.00 and 13.00.
The trade unionists say that if by the end of the week they will not talk to the Minister of Education and receive an answer to their demands, they will go on a general strike from Monday, May 22.
Union leaders have already called on parents to keep their children at home from May 22. Universities go on general strike as well. It is very possible that the exams will be canceled or postponed, announced Anton Hadăr, president of Alma Mater.
The teachers claim that a teacher with 25 years of experience earns around 4,500 lei a month, while a beginning teacher earns a salary of 2,200 lei.
Last week, education trade unionists organized a protest march in Bucharest, where they drew attention to the problems in the system. The protests are organized by the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, the Federation of Trade Unions in Education “Spiru Haret” and the National Trade Union Federation “Alma Mater”, on behalf of over 350,000 employees whose rights and interests they represent.
The action aims to draw attention to the problems faced by the Romanian education system, in particular, the employees – teaching, non-teaching and auxiliary teaching staff.
The demands of the trade unionists in education aim at: increasing the salaries of the education staff, in accordance with the social importance of the work performed, starting from the principle that the salary of the beginning teacher should be at least equal to the gross average salary in the economy, the salary of all teaching staff to be realized progressively, according to position, studies, seniority and teaching degree; establishing the rule of annual indexation of staff salaries paid from public funds, with the inflation rate; payment of additional hours performed by auxiliary teaching and non-teaching staff.
Education minister reacts
The Education minister, Ligia Deca, stated that the education federations will be invited to discussions about the collective labor agreement. “We are convinced that through dialogue we will find the best formulas,” Deca stressed.
She added that for increments and other punctual salary increases established by normative acts, changes coming from the Ministry of Finance are necessary.
Strike in public administration as well
Teachers are not the only ones dissatisfied with their salaries. Trade unionists from the Public Administration and Social Assistance also decided to start the protests because of salaries. The calendar of actions will be established after June 1. 20,000 employees would go on strike.
The Columna trade union federation, which represents the interests of over 20,000 employees in Public Administration and Social Assistance, decided, during the National Council meeting, with unanimous votes, to launch union actions, including the strike. The calendar of protest actions will be established after June 1.
The decision is motivated by the decrease in income through the measures provided by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, through the modification of the system of granting salary rights, the full non-application of Law no. 153/2017 regarding the remuneration of staff paid from public funds and the change in the financing system in Social Assistance, as a result of the amendments that will be made to Law no. 292/2011 of Social Assistance.
“Thousands of employees have already signed the lists of participation in trade union actions, including the strike, this process being in full swing, and after June 1, the concrete calendar of trade union actions will be established”, according to the trade union federation.