STOP continues the strike of all teaching and non-teaching staff from November 13 to 29.

The Union of All Educational Workers (STOP) has decided to continue the strike of teachers and non-teaching staff, which begins on Monday and will last until November 29, leader André Pestana told Luse this Saturday.

“Like the state budget [para 2024] (OE2024) continues to be discussed and voted on, we will continue the national strike from November 13 to 29 for all educational professionals throughout the service area,” said André Pestana in a conversation with Lusa at the end of the STOP Trade Union and Strike Committee meeting, which took place online.

At the same meeting, it was decided to cancel the national demonstration planned for 18 November in Lisbon and replace it with a “concentration of protest in front of Parliament on the day of the vote on the state budget”, planned for 29 November.

In addition, the meeting also decided that STOP would “demand hearings from political parties and participate in meetings of other workers in support.”

“Essentially, what we want to get across is this: No matter who comes into the future government, as much as STOP is affected, education professionals will continue to fight for quality public schools for all who work and study there. If the government is more to the left or more to the right, school workers know that they can count on STOP,” said Andre Pestana.

In announcing the strike, STOP’s president explained that it would be organized in every school and group, as in the previous school year, through strike funds, “which are 100% legal, with full autonomy and democratic decision-making by teachers and teachers.” non-teaching staff at each institution.”

At the same time, Andre Pestana noted that the OE2024 proposal “does not provide an effective investment in public schools and in the dignity of all those who work and study there.”

“We want to warn parents and the community at large that if nothing is done, the next OE will worsen the degradation of public schools and the quality of education for our children, irreversibly jeopardizing their future,” he stressed at the time.

Portugal will hold early legislative elections on March 10, 2024, scheduled by the President of the Republic, following the resignation of the Prime Minister on Tuesday. With elections scheduled for March, approval of OE2024 is possible this month.

The government’s proposal, presented on October 10 to the Assembly of the Republic, envisages an increase in funds allocated for basic and secondary education next year by approximately 393.9 million euros.

As for teachers, the government wants to adapt the income support program to be able to subsidize teachers working in schools more than 70 kilometers from home, a measure that André Pestana considers insufficient to solve the problems of the sector.

OE2024 did not take into account the restoration of working hours, which has been the main demand of trade unions since the end of last year.

“We have full flexibility to discuss the ‘timing’ of reinstatement of service time,” Andre Pestana told Lusa on October 10, assuring: “We did not give up service time because it was time worked that we deducted.”