Social partners from education identify solutions that would increase wage levels in the branch

On the eve of the beginning of the new year of study, trade union members of the Trade Union Federation of Education and Science (FSEŞ) gathered today, August 20, in plenary meeting of the General Council of the FSEŞ to review the activity of the national-branch trade union centre between August 2017 and August 2018, to analyse the situation in the branch and to discuss the actions of the Federation in order to protect the rights and social-economic interests of trade union members. Igor Şarov, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (MECC), and Sergiu Sainciuc, vice-president of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM), were present at the meeting.

Ghenadie Donos, FSEŞ president, presented a report on the activity of the organization he leads, where were mentioned the main problems faced by the pedagogues and auxiliary staff working in the educational system, the progress of the negotiations with the Government and the results obtained, the Federation priorities for the next period.

“The main problem affecting the education sector is that of wages. Although wages increased by 11.3% on September 1, 2017, they are still at an insufficient level. We will continue to ask the authorities to meet the claims launched in 2016 – to increase the salaries of teachers by 40-50%; reviewing the amount of the allowance for young specialists; reviewing the remuneration rates for holders of I, II and higher degrees; setting the quantum of the single payroll network at the minimum subsistence level; increasing the scholarships by 10-20%,” said Ghenadie Donos, president of the ESF.

In this context, it was mentioned that last week the MECC and FSEŞ signed an Additional Agreement to the Collective Convention (the research and innovation branch) for the years 2016-2020. The purpose of the Agreement is to ensure that, under the law, the reciprocal rights and obligations of employers and employees in the field of research and innovation are members of the FSEŞ, as well as the regulation of labour relations and the provision of social and economic guarantees. The additional agreement provides for an annual increase in funding for research and innovation; annual indexation of the increase for scientific degree of Doctor of Science; Announcing the 2020 Year of Young Researchers; granting cumulative employees who hold scientific titles full monthly salary increases for scientific degree.

Igor Sarov, MECC State General Secretary, communicated to those present about the reform of the branch of science at the national level, the prospects for development in the branch, the projects to be implemented within the social partnership.

“In the next period we will come up with a new package of solutions that will favour the activity of the teachers, scientists and teachers in general. Thus, at the beginning of September, the new unitary wage law will be presented in the budgetary system, which supports the employees in the education sector. We will also present a project to increase the allowances granted to young specialists, which could increase from 40 thousand lei annually to 120 thousand lei, in order to increase the attractiveness of activation and maintenance in the system for young specialists. At the same time, activities related to the retraining and the training of the teachers will be organized”, Igor Sarov stressed.

In turn, Sergiu Sainciuc, vice president of the CNSM, said that the Confederation is alongside  education trade unionists and will promote their interests in the social dialogue process. “We are glad that there is constructive cooperation between the FSEȘ and the MECC, which has resulted in the signing of the Additional Agreement to the Collective Agreement. I am convinced that this cooperation will solve the problems that exist in the branch – the basic problem being the motivation of the personnel, ie the increase in the level of salary. In this sense, the new unitary wage law in the budgetary system should be that “lifeline”, a viable solution for all employees in the budgetary system. We hope that this law will be approved and implemented from January 1, 2019,” said the CNSM vice-president.

Education trade unionists have said they will address the topics discussed at the FSEȘ General Council meeting in the National Commission for Collective Consultation and Negotiation. The participants agreed to continue the dialogue and to work together to identify solutions for the recovery of education, research and innovation. We mention that at this meeting the trade unionists also questioned other issues related to the organizational activity of the national-branch union centre.

Department of mass media and international relations