A general teachers’ strike is to take place

On Tuesday December 8th a general teachers’ strike is set to take place. More than 350 schools and around 10 thousand teachers are going to take part in the strike. The decision to organize the strike was made after the government refused to satisfy the demands of the trade unions.

The trade union requests include restoration of the level of financing for one student from the year 2009, equalization of the pay for kindergarten and high school teachers, decreasing the number of children in kindergarten groups and classes, signing group agreements with teachers, and introduction of the possibility to retire at the age of 55.

On Tuesday 1st December, the settlement commission tried to work out an agreement between the Ministry of Education and the trade unions. The Ministry of Education informed that a political council of the governing coalition “found a possibility to give an additional 10 million Euros to education”. Minister Audronė Pitrėnienė ensured the teachers that from January the 1st 2016 kindergarten teachers’ salaries will increase by 7%, the salaries of beginner teachers will rise by 5% and the salaries of all high school teachers will rise by 3%.

However, the representatives of the trade unions stated that the solutions proposed by the government are not satisfactory and “do not meet our demands” which is why the negotiations have been terminated. The trade unions announced that the strike is going to take place on December the 8^th.

Source: BNS, lrt.lt