President Iohannis calls the leaders of the coalition for consultations on the education strike, asks them to find solutions

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called the leaders of the governing coalition for consultations on Wednesday, at the Cotroceni Palace, on the topic of the strike in education, launched on May 22. Meanwhile, the teachers continue their strike.

Iohannis invited the three leaders of the governing coalition to consultations on the subject of the education strike on Wednesday, at 12:00. UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor is not in Bucharest, but in Cluj-Napoca, so his presence is uncertain.

At the meeting, President Klaus Iohannis asked the leaders of the coalition to continue the negotiations with the education unions “until the measures aimed at meeting the demands of the teaching staff are identified”, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration, delivered on Wednesday, after the discussions at the Cotroceni Palace.

Klaus Iohannis and the leaders of the coalition, Nicolae Ciucă and Marcel Ciolacu, discussed on Wednesday, together with the Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, “the demands of the trade union federations in education and the possible solutions that lead to the end of the teachers’ strike and the resumption of classes”, according to the quoted statement.

The President of Romania asked the leaders of the coalition “to publicly present, as soon as possible, the conclusions of the negotiations with the unions and the measures that the Government can adopt so that the school year is ended in good conditions, and the calendar of the national exams is not affected”, the press release states.

On the other hand, the leader of the “Spiru Haret” Trade Union Federation said on Wednesday that the Government’s “offer”, i.e. incentives of 4,000 lei for teaching staff and 1,500 for non-teaching staff, was evaluated by his colleagues, and the decision was that the strike continues.

The teaching staff do not give in and continue the strike launched on May 22, the education unions announcing that they will not sign any agreement, even if it is endorsed by the Romanian president, and that they will maintain their request for a 25% salary increase until the entry into force of the Salary Law unity.

The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, led by Simion Hăcescu and the Federation of Trade Unions in Education “Spiru Haret”, led by Marius Nistor, announced on Wednesday, in a press release, that, after consulting the county organizations, they decided to continue the general strike and don’t sign a political agreement that doesn’t include wage increases.

On Tuesday, the head of state met with a delegation of education union leaders in the context of the general strike launched in education, with President Klaus Iohannis voicing his willingness to guarantee, as a mediator, the conclusion of a political agreement to resolve salary claims, the Presidential Administration informed.

The union leaders in education met with President Iohannis, who announced at the end of the talks that the general strike will continue on Wednesday, when the teachers will decide whether to give up the protest.

They also said that the president promised them that he would sign an eventual agreement between the unions and the government. The message sent by the union leaders after the meeting with the head of state was an optimistic one, saying that “when the president gets involved” in solving the problems of the cadres teaching is “a positive sign” and that the meeting was “constructive”.