Teachers take to the streets again to demand ‘respect’

Thousands of teachers took to the streets on Tuesday to “demand respect” and ask for six years, six months and 23 days of free service and, despite the expression of struggle fatigue, to promise “not to stop.”

The demonstration, organized by a platform of nine teachers’ organizations, brought together teachers from the south of the country in Lisbon, who, together with the Marquis de Pombal and the Assembly of the Republic, put up posters calling for “respect and dignity” and the protection of public schools.

To the sound of horns and drums, some 30,000 teachers, according to data provided to Lusa by the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), chanted “No stops”, “O Costa Escuta, teachers in the fight” as their main slogans. and “6.6.23, here we are again.”

The platform has already organized a demonstration on Tuesday morning in Porto with teachers from the North and Center on a day when the teachers also held a national strike.

The strike and demonstrations, designed to celebrate the symbolism of today, must coincide with the length of service that teachers have been claiming for several years: 06/06/2023.

Fenprof general secretary Mario Nogueira told reporters that there was around 90% commitment to the strike and “numerous schools” in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra had “closed”.

“The Ministry of Education must know how to interpret the protests. The teachers are tired, they have been fighting for a long time, but they are not going to stop. They stole and they know what they are entitled to,” he said. emphasized.

Mario Nogueira stressed that teachers are “determined to fight now” and, if necessary, in the next academic year, given that the ministry, headed by Joao Costa, “is leading the school and the teaching profession to decline.”

Manuel Micaelo, a teacher at Caldas da Rainha, assured Luz that the fight would continue until his entire term of service was exhausted.

“All the time is taken into account, we don’t give up a single day, even for retired teachers this time belongs to them and they need it. As long as there is a day that has not been counted, the fight continues,” the teacher said, emphasizing that “teachers need to be respected and negotiated so that the public school is of good quality.”

For Manuel Micaelo, the goals of teachers are “respect, retirement and stolen service time”.

Sandra Duarte, a teacher in Lures, also told Luz that the fight must continue” as “working conditions are not the best”.

“I went to all the demonstrations, I have been a teacher for 25 years and have been working there for 17 years. There is very little motivation in schools, we are treated badly and our work is not recognized,” she said. explained.

The science teacher said that work experience “has not been reset for a long time” and in her case would already be on a step much higher than the one on which she is now.

Esquerda Bloc coordinator Mariana Mortagua was present at the demonstration and told Luza that the teachers’ fight must continue because she was “in defense of the public school”.

“Last year, 26,000 students ended the year without a teacher, and if nothing is done next year, 210,000 students may not have a teacher in any subject. These teachers are here today to point out solutions, and the government doesn’t give solutions, it doesn’t give them careers. And what he’s saying to contract teachers, whose average age is 47, is that they go to the other side of the country. and receive a salary of 1,000 euros without getting more for it,” Mariana Mortagua said, considering this an “insult” to the teachers.

Regarding the length of service, Mariana Mortagua stressed that the government does not want to give a decision.

“We must not give up respect for the six years, six months and 23 days and the entire work experience of these teachers, the government owes it to them,” he stressed.

Also present at the protest, PKP General Secretary Paulo Raimundo considered “the struggle of the teachers very fair” and praised the “resistance and unity” of the teachers.

“Teachers are fundamental to the country, they deserve dignity, respect, rights and deserve the consecration of the motto of today’s demonstration, namely: six years, six months and 23 days of work, which is not recognized by the government, which is so quick to give answers to the bank, and then thousands of professors, it seems that he does not want to give an answer,” he stressed.

Paulo Raimundo also said that the minister “is in his hands the responsibility of how to end this school year and how to start the next school year”, depending on the decision of the government.

The platform of nine teachers’ organizations promises a new protest on Saturday in Peso da Régua, where June 10th is celebrated.