Ruling coalition leaders might negotiate with teachers’ trade unions this weekend ahead upcoming strike on Monday

The chairman of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, offers to talk these days with the education union leaders to stop the general strike announced by the teachers as of Monday, May 22.

“I am willing to talk, at any time, during this weekend, with the leaders of the education union and let’s make all the necessary efforts together to avoid the general strike,” Marcel Ciolacu said in a Facebook post. He claimed that he had also spoken with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and has the guarantee that he “has a similar willingness to dialogue”.

“I hope union leaders understand that this strike is wreaking havoc not only on school operations, but in the lives of millions of families. It is my sincere belief that we can all be capable of putting responsibility and lucidity first. There are certainly solutions that we can reach with calmness and reason, while the children see their school in peace. I think that’s what Romanians expect from political leaders and trade unionists,” concluded Ciolacu.

The education unions announced on Wednesday, after the government meeting with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and other representatives of the Executive, that they did not reach an agreement and that the general strike in education will begin on Monday, May 22, at 8:00 am. They say they are completely stopping the activity until the Government decides to raise wages.

However, the Minister of Labor, Marius Budai, did not make any promises of salary increases for the teachers who are threatening to go on general strike. He said that the wage law cannot be done “overnight” and that the ministry does not have “a bag of money” to distribute to everyone.

On the other hand, Klaus Iohannis said that the demands of the teachers are justified and that the teachers must be paid at their true value.