The general secretary of the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) assured this Saturday that if teachers do not reach an agreement with the government next week, more strikes and demonstrations will be scheduled for early March.
Speaking at the end of a national demonstration of teachers called by the structure he leads, Mario Nogueira announced that if next week’s negotiations did not lead to an agreement and it was necessary to move on to further negotiations – expected on March 2 or 3 -, new strikes would be called and demonstrations divided into two days between the north and south of the country.
“We propose that on the 2nd all the districts of the country from Coimbra to the north go on strike at all worship services and throughout the day with a large demonstration of teachers in the city of Porto, and on the 3rd all the teachers of the district of Leiria south of the strike and we have here in Lisbon there is a new large-scale national demonstration,” he said, referring to the fact that the strike notices had been signed by various trade union organizations a few minutes earlier on the same stage.
Mario Nogueira indicated that the next talks with the government are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, so that during the next week “across the country, in all schools” there will be a “week of mourning and struggle for the profession”, with the placement of “black stripes” in school institutions.
The union leader also urged teachers to “stop and stay at the door” of the school on government meeting days.
Fenprof’s general secretary also announced an initiative he called “4D” which consists of “four days of democratic debate on the dignity of teaching” on the 23rd, 24th, 27th and 28th of this month.
According to Mario Nogueira, the professors will vote on “the minister’s proposals or lack of them” so that the professors can decide whether they deserve an agreement, as well as on new forms of protest, “they are ready to promote it if necessary, as long as in end of the year.”
“The government needs to take many steps forward in these negotiations,” the trade union leader defended, believing that the executive branch “cannot continue to disrespect teachers.”
Mario Nogueira also stressed that “it is not the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office that will stop the struggle of teachers, whatever is ratified”, given that “the struggle is a democratic right in this April Portugal”.
The teachers returned this Saturday to take part in another national demonstration in Lisbon organized by Fenprof and also with the participation of the National Federation of Education (FNE), the Union of All Educational Professionals (STOP) and seven other trade union organizations. as well as the Association of officers of the Armed Forces and representatives of the PSP.
At the beginning of the school year, the guardianship decided to start a negotiation process to revise the model for hiring and placing teachers, but some of the proposals caused dissatisfaction among teachers, as in the case of the possibility of principals to choose part of their team. .
Negotiations between the unions and the ministry took place in the face of strong opposition, with teachers staging strikes and demonstrations.
Off the negotiating agenda, there are statements that professors say they won’t back down on, such as reinstatement or career advancement that professors enjoy.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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