The government and teachers are concluding negotiations today on restoring working hours

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) today welcomes trade union organizations to the latest negotiation meeting to determine the conditions for the restoration of teachers’ time worked.

Meetings start at 11:00 with the National Federation of Education (FNE) and continue throughout the day, starting at 14:30, with FENEI, SIPE, FEPECI, SPLIU and SNPL, followed by ASPL, SIPPEB, SEPLEU, Pró-Order. and stop at 16:00 and the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) from 17:30.

Less than a month after the first meeting, the negotiation process is due to conclude today after the trusteeship and unions presented a series of proposals and counter-proposals.

The government’s latest proposal, introduced a week ago, would return 50% of the six-year, six-month and 23-day service frozen during the Troika in the first two years, but retain the five-year period of the original service period. offer .

The plan is to return 25% in the first two years, 20% in 2026 and 15% in 2027 and 2028.

On the other hand, the Ministry has approached the demands of teachers in other aspects, for example with regard to the effects of the “accelerator” approved by the previous head, which made it possible to restore the time during which teachers waited for a vacancy so that they could move to 5th and 7th th levels.

Minister Fernando Alexandre is already going to a meeting today to learn about new counter-proposals from the unions. The two largest structures – Fenprof and FNE – are making some concessions, but insist on the terms that they have been defending since the beginning of negotiations.

Fenprof, on the one hand, maintains the return on service time at an average of 33% per year over three years, as of July 1.

FNE, which started by proposing 30% in 2024, 30% in 2025, 20% in 2026 and a final 20% in 2027, moved closer to the government’s position by changing its proposal to an annual rate of 25% but retaining four term one year.

The withdrawal of the diploma, which was initially seen as a red line, implemented mechanisms for accelerating career growth, the so-called “accelerator”, has now been accepted by the unions on the condition that MECI fulfills the commitments made last week.

In particular, they want a guarantee of a place to move to levels 5 and 7 during the restoration period, as well as a guarantee that the time restored in accordance with the decree-law will not be deducted from the six years, six months and 23 days. .

Despite some convergence, the ministry and union federations remain at odds on one point: authorities want seniority restoration to serve only career advancement purposes, while unions want compensation mechanisms for teachers already at the top. their career or are planning to retire in the meantime.

In addition to the minister, the meeting will be attended by Undersecretary of State for Education Alexandre Homem Cristo, Secretary of State for Governance and Educational Innovation Pedro Dantas da Cunha and Secretary of State for Public Administration Marisa Garrido. .