Fenprof accuses government of refusing to pay teachers working on public holidays

Fenprof General Secretary Mario Nogueira this Friday accused the government of wanting to “put your hand in the pockets” of teachers for allegedly not paying the extra work of those who will monitor exams and tests during the holidays.

“Now they even want to put their hand in the pockets of teachers to get what they are owed for the work they will have to do on a day when they have every right to rest,” said the leader of the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof).

Mario Nogueira spoke at the Escola Básica e Secundária de Mora, in the Évora region, on one of the stages when a caravan of teachers travels along Estrada Nacional (EN) 2 to demand the restoration of their working hours.

In previous years, comparative tests and statewide exams coincided with municipal holidays, the union leader said, and that the “big problem” was overtime pay for teachers.

“When there is work done on a public holiday, it counts as an extra working day and the work has rules. People are required to comply with it, but the employer must pay for it with a 50% per hour surcharge,” he stressed. .

However, according to the Fenprof secretary general, “the Minister of Education says that he will then compensate for the day of vacation.”

“But for this there must be an agreement between the worker and the employer, and there was no agreement at all, because no one asked anyone, not even representatives of the workers, that is, trade unions, or workers,” he stressed.

Insisting that the extra work should be paid, Secretary General Fenprofa considered the opposite “unacceptable” and promised to consult the legal department of the National Federation of Teachers on this matter.

“If this payment is not made within the terms established by law, because the law exists, we do not demand anything and the law is the law, we are faced with lawlessness, and if it is illegal, then the courts must decide it. ” added.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education explained that passing tests and exams on municipal holidays is inevitable and has been happening for two decades, since almost half of the days in June fall on local holidays.

In this clarification sent to the editorial office, the guardianship authorities did not touch upon the issue of compensation for teachers who will carry out surveillance.

This Monday, school principals criticized the fact that some quizzes and national exams were scheduled on municipal holidays in parts of the country, calling into question the performance of the tests and difficulties with student transport or meals in school cafeterias.

At the moment, 2 students are undergoing evaluation tests. 5th and 8th graders who take digital tests for the first time.

In June, the national tests for 9th grade students begin, followed by the national tests for secondary school students, which this year are again required only for those wishing to enter higher education.