Teachers have resumed protests: “We can not tolerate such attitude towards pedagogical work!”

About 2000 demonstrators – employees of educational institutions in the country, with the support of national trade union members have picketed today, March 23, Moldovan Parliament building, demanding salary increase.

Protests resumed after more than two months of negotiations with the Government, as key demands of trade unions have still not been fulfilled.

“We do not give up until salaries will be raised significantly. We can not tolerate such attitude towards pedagogical work. It is our right to indignation and protest. If necessary, we will stop the educational process,” said Dumitru Ivanov, president of Trade Union Federation of Education and Science (FSEŞ).

According to him, 25% of teachers in schools are pensioners, and of the 1,600 young people who graduate annually Pedagogical University, only 300 come to engage in schools, and in a year or two they leave, they can not maintain with low wages.

“The needs of teachers must be satisfied by concrete facts, not promises. Teachers have suffered in all the years of independence since, being ignored by the state. It is a national shame that they and their families endure privation. How can teachers ensure a quality education process, when their main concern is how to maintain themselves and their family members? We demand decent and paid on time wages for teachers,” stated Petru Chiriac, vice-president of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM).

“Every time there are negotiations, decision makers invoke shortage of money in the state budget. This is a lie, there are enough money to cover the whole range of budgetary needs, but they must be taken from the informal economy,” added the union leader.

At the end of the action, protesters have adopted a Declaration calling for policymakers to address their demands: equalize salary for Category I of pay of Single Tariff Network to the size of minimum subsistence level, beginning with January 1, 2017; 50% increase to official salary of teachers and science teachers and annual unconditional recalculation of the amount of pensions for retirees employed in the workforce.

We recall that as a result of the protest action on 17 January, the Government invited trade unions to dialogue, being created a Commission for negotiations, represented by both parties and protests were suspended for a period of two months. During this period, there were four meetings of the Commission, certain claims of trade union members being supported. Dissatisfaction, however, aroused the proposal of the authorities to increase salary for categories 1-6 of the Single Tariff Network with only 10% (100 lei), for which, on 10 March, FSEŞ decided breakdown of negotiations.

The protest action will continue tomorrow, March 24, from 14:00, this time in front of the Government building. According to the board of FSEŞ if trade union claims will not be heard, at the beginning of April there will be a large protest march in the centre of the capital.