Education Trade Union Proceeds with Strike on Monday

The Education Trade Union will proceed with the general strike in schools and kindergartens on Monday, after they reached a decision on Sunday to reject the latest proposal of the government for increase of the salaries by 10%. “95% of our members rejected this proposal because it was only a verbal and not written proposal, something we see as rather unserious from the government. An increase of 10% does not correspond at all to the increase of the minimum salary, which is not a suitable stimulus for the return of the dignity of the profession of teachers,” said President of the Education Trade Union Jakim Nedelkov. From the government they estimated as irresponsible the decision of the Education Trade Union to proceed with the strike. “With this decision, the Education Trade Union decided to put their personal interests above the interests of all children, all students in the country. This will most certainly mean that the school year will be prolonged so that the students can catch up with the curriculum. We proposed an increase of 10%, i.e. around 2,500 with the upcoming state budget rebalance, as well as a new methodology for calculation for further increases, but the Education Trade Union rejected this,” they report from the government. From SDSM they called upon the teachers and caregivers in schools and kindergartens all over the country to cease the strike and return to their normal work tasks, because according to them, priority should be given to the children and their education, for they have already lost too much during the COVID-19 pandemic. In meantime, on Friday, hate phrases like “Trade Union, murderers of children” and “Teachers fascists” have been sprayed on the walls of the kindergarten Rosica in Gjorce Petrov, Skopje. Mayor of Gjorce Petrov Aleksandar Stojkoski condemned the incident and said it has been reported to the police.