The two trade union federations in pre-university education initiated the consultation of members in the territory. Teachers have until May 8 to announce whether they agree to a general strike on May 25, preceded by a warning strike on May 18.
The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education and the Federation of Trade Unions in Education “Spiru Haret” initiated the consultation procedures of union members regarding the initiation of the general strike.
The list of grievances is long, but the teachers no longer seem as willing to go “to the end”. Moreover, they are beginning to raise suspicions about the timing of the initiation of proceedings in the midst of a government crisis. While some accept that “it is the only way”, others accuse the leaders of having put themselves in the service of certain parties.
10 Big List Complaints
Dissatisfaction continued to accumulate on the teachers’ list, starting from the summer of last year, when education was the first area affected by the austerity measures. Today, all of these are reasons to tip the scales in favor of a general strike, national union leaders hope.
The list of the 10 biggest complaints includes:
1) increasing the didactic norm of teaching – learning – evaluation and of practical training and current evaluation;
2) blocking the filling of vacant positions for auxiliary teaching staff and administrative staff, generating an excessive amount of work and additional activity that is not remunerated;
3) non-compensation in money of vacation leave not taken upon termination of the individual employment contract;
4) non-payment of due salary rights according to court decisions;
5) the increase in the number of students/preschoolers/preschoolers in the class/group and the abusive merging of educational units;
6) the reduction of the remuneration for the activity provided under the hourly payment regime;
7) non-granting of increases for working conditions;
8) the increase of the chair obligation for teaching staff who occupy positions of management, guidance and control, which affects the conditions in which these categories carry out their activity;
9) excessive bureaucracy and politicization of the educational act;
10) insufficient protection of education personnel in the case of various forms of violence in the school space.
To the above, in the last few days another great dissatisfaction was added – the incorrect salaries for the education staff, the unions claim, proposed by the new Framework Law on the salaries of the staff paid from public funds.
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In addition, the teachers are also told about the intention of the governors to eliminate tenure in the national education system, to increase differentially the didactic norm of teaching and to introduce physical education in the didactic norm of teaching the teacher/teacher for primary education.
For every dissatisfaction there is also a request to make things right.
The unions also remind that since the entry into force of the Pre-university Education Law, law 198/2023, the provisions relating to: the annual allocation of at least 15% of the expenses of the general consolidated budget for education have been extended; the granting of the retirement bonus in the amount of 2 salaries; granting the installation premium; the awarding of awards and cash prizes.
The staff with membership of the union are requested to make a decision by May 8 regarding the initiation of the strike. The answers will be centralized and sent to Bucharest by May 11, so that, in the situation where those who agree with the strike are in the majority, the warning strike on May 18 and the general strike on May 25 can be set up.
“Agreed, but if a strike fund is established”
After the 2023 strike – interrupted by the leaders without being consulted, school teachers still say today -, a decision on a similar approach is no longer as easy to take. Meanwhile, teachers who applied for retirement faced inconveniences related to the shortening of the seniority period, as the days of the strike are not considered a period of contribution.
“Agree, but if a strike fund is established”more and more teachers are asking, signaling that the salary for which they have been working even harder since last summer has not allowed them to build up a reserve fund, so a new period without a salary would turn their lives upside down. However, there are no favorable signals in this regard from the unions, unionists citing the small amounts with which the teachers contribute and the significant expenses caused by the granting of aid for situations of illness or death.
Teachers are beginning to question the timing. “That’s how the party ordered you to go on strike?”comments some of the union members, accusing the leaders of an obvious closeness to the social democrats who withdrew from the government and are now forcing the fall of the Bolojan government. Even more radical voices are even demanding “without Nistor (n. ed. – Marius Nistor, FSE leader Spiru Haret) and Hăncescu (n. ed. – Simon Hăncescu, FSLI leader)”.
Convinced that if they do not link the protest to the very key moments of the school year – the end of the school situation and the national exams (National Assessment and Baccalaureate) – there will be no pressure, some union members believe that the beginning of June would be more appropriate to start the strike, not May.
Discontent was also created by the fact that, after the last strike, those who did not join the strike took advantage of the benefits gained as a result of the protest, while also collecting their salaries and remaining with the contribution period unaffected, so now there is also the issue of negotiating the firm condition that the rights that could be regained should benefit only those who also assume risks.
