The national coordinator of the Union of All Educational Workers (Stop) said on Thursday that the government has so far not responded to teachers’ demands, finding this Thursday’s meeting heartbreaking.
“While Stop has been demanding business meetings for years on issues that we consider important for schools (…), we found that there was not a single line about this,” Andre Pestana said in statements to reporters.
At the end of the meeting, which brought together all trade union organizations and the Ministry of Education for about six hours, André Pestana gave a negative assessment of the meeting, considering it “disappointing” that, given the demands of professionals, there was “not a line” about the main claims of teachers.
On the agenda were only the recruitment and mobility of teaching staff, which have been negotiated since September, and amendments to the order on continuing education.
On the other hand, the teachers, who have been on strike for two months now, are demanding better working conditions and wages and, above all, the restoration of the entire frozen service life.
“In view of the set of basic demands that led to this historic mobilization, it is clear that [o Ministério da Educação] shoots next to what is really needed,” said the Stop leader.
Recalling the two demonstrations organized by this union in January, which gathered several thousand people in Lisbon, André Pestana considered that they testify to “a great revolt on the part of those who work in schools.”
Thus, the union leaves it up to the professionals to decide whether or not to continue the indefinite strike that began on December 9 and about which advance notices have already been sent before February 24, but believes that teachers and non-teachers seem unwilling to back down .
As for non-teaching workers, who are no longer under the care of the Ministry of Education as part of the decentralization process, André Pestana said he was ready to negotiate “with anyone”.
“But we know that in terms of funding it will always go through the central government, and therefore we always raise this issue with the central government,” he explained.
This Thursday’s meeting was the fourth round of negotiations on the recruitment and mobility of teaching staff, which began in September. The government and unions are expected to meet again at the end of next week.
On behalf of the government, Secretary of State for Education António Leite felt that progress had been made and said he expected global agreement, or at least some amendment proposals, such as dynamic linkage and the integration of more than 10,000 teachers into the staff in another 2023.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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