Government says it’s ‘time for talks’ with teachers’ unions

A presidency minister considered this Thursday that “the time has come for negotiations” between the government and teachers’ unions on “two very clear proposals” presented by the executive branch to address basic demands.

“The time has come for negotiations because of two very clear proposals presented by the government. This is really the time for negotiations with trade unions that will continue this week and in the coming weeks, and this is what we are focusing on, trying to answer two main demands,” Mariana Vieira da Silva said at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting, which took place in Castelo Branco.

At a press conference, the minister was asked questions about the teachers’ strike and the meeting that representatives of nine trade unions held this Thursday in the building of the President of the Republic.

The official explained that last week the government presented the unions with a proposal that “meets very clearly the two main requirements that endanger the lives of teachers.”

Mariana Vieira da Silva clarified that the first sentence refers to “too much insecurity” as the government has committed itself to hiring more than 10,000 teachers this year.

The second measure, presented by the government, referred to the minister as “concerned with creating stability” and “at the end of a process in which teachers spend many years with their backs to home”, guaranteeing the Ministry of Education’s offer of “constellation stability, reducing the number of staff in the pedagogical area and promoting stability” .

Teachers are on three separate strikes to demand better working conditions and wages, an end to instability, faster career advancement and to protest government proposals for a hiring and placement review that is being negotiated with industry unions.

Nine trade unions are promoting the national strike in the districts: Associação Sindical de Professores Licenciados (ASPL), National Federation of Teachers (FENPROF), Pro-Ordem dos Professores – Associação Sindical/Portuguese Federation of Teachers, Union of Pedagogues and Teachers. Alumni (SEPLEU), National Union of Educational Professionals (SINAPE), National and Democratic Union of Teachers (SINDEP), Independent Union of Teachers and Educators (SIPE) and National Union of Licensed Polytechnic and Universities Teachers (SPLIU) and National Federation of Education (FNE).

At the same time, two other strikes are taking place with no end date, promoted by the Union of All Education Workers (STOP) and the Independent Union of Teachers and Educators (SIPE).