After the warning strike that took place on Friday, the Education Employees’ Union (LŠDPS) is not backing down from its plans to organize a long-term strike and a teachers’ march at the end of September, and has also submitted an application to receive permission to hold pickets in Vilnius.
After the warning strike that took place on Friday, the Education Employees’ Union (LŠDPS) is not backing down from its plans to organize a long-term strike and a teachers’ march at the end of September, and has also submitted an application to receive permission to hold pickets in Vilnius.
“We are preparing,” union leader Andrjus Navicks told the BNS news agency, admitting that he does not hope to reach an agreement with the ministry through negotiations.
On Thursday, the union submitted an application to receive permission to organize various pickets for a month near the building of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports and in the square near the parliament building.
Navicks informed that permission was requested for holding pickets from the morning of September 29 to October 28. He assumed that the pickets could also take place in only one of the two places.
“Teachers who will participate in the strike will not work for a month,” he announced.
According to the head of the trade union, a tent will be set up at the teachers’ gathering place and activities will be organized.
The Vilnius municipality informed that the issuance of a picket permit could be considered next week.
The next round of negotiations between LŠDPS and the ministry is expected on Tuesday. Navicks expressed his readiness to continue negotiations until the day of the strike and call it off “early in the morning of the same day”.
LŠDPS demands that teachers’ salaries be increased by 20% from September and by another 30% in January. Also, the union demands to reduce the number of students in the class.
Lithuanian Minister of Education, Science and Sports Gintauts Jakšts has stated that teachers’ salaries were raised in January as previously decided and it is not possible to raise them in September as well.
Prime Minister Ingrīda Šimonīte also repeatedly announced that teachers’ salaries will be raised to 130% of the average salary in the country next year. The agreement of the political parties provides that it will be done in two stages – in January and September. She emphasized that some of the trade union’s demands cannot be fulfilled.
The Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Union has also announced its demands. Also among them is raising teachers’ salaries and reducing the number of students in classes. The union allows for the possibility of a strike if the demands are not met.
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