EduMin David: Measures such as slashing salaries or downsizing in education are out of question right now

Acting education minister Daniel David on Wednesday stated that right now cuts in the teachers' salaries or lay offs in education and research is out of question.

On the other hand, he pointed out that the messages launched by the trade unionists in education contain "absolutely real things, for which they are doing well to fight," but also "rumors and distorted interpretations".

The minister was asked what measures he plans to take if teachers go on a general strike, as announced by representatives of some trade unions in the field.

"First of all, as you know, yesterday I had a meeting with the unionists. I believe that the unions, through what they represent, are concerned with protecting the rights of their own members, which is a good thing. I was looking over the message related to the protest and despite the discussions we had yesterday, in which we tried to clarify some rumors and distorted interpretations, I see that they are still mixing, so to speak, in the unions' message, absolutely real things, for which they are doing well to fight, with rumors and distorted interpretations. This disappoints me greatly," Daniel David said on Wednesday, before the government meeting.

He also gave a few examples of "distorted interpretations."

"Maintaining tenure, no one has ever talked about abolishing tenure. Two - on cutting down staff in research institutes, no one has ever talked about cutting down staff in research institutes. We have too few researchers, not too many. Three: 8 hours in the educational unit, no one has talked about 8 hours in the educational unit, we talked about 8 hours for education, if you are paid 8 hours. You can work for education from home, you can work from the library, you have to be dedicated to the 8 hours for which you are paid. A minister cannot say anything else. It is both illegal and immoral," David also declared.

In the same context, the acting minister of education gave assurance that teachers' salaries will not be slashed.

"Right now we do not have such measures. I am waiting to see the measures, just like you, but cutting down salaries or laying offs in the education and research area are out of question. As long as I am minister, we are not reducing staff in research, we have too few researchers compared to what we need in order to meet European standards," Daniel David underscored.