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Union leader Nistor: I don't believe in promises, agreements, memorandums; salary demands to be implemented now.
Thousand of colleagues are currently in means of transport from various countries of the country, all heading to Bucharest, where we are expecting 20,000 people to participate in the protest starting in the Victoriei Square, President of the "Spiru Haret" Trade Unions Federation in Education Marius Nistor stated on Friday, adding that a new stage of negotiations will take place at the Government, as of 12:00hrs, told Agerpres.
"After almost three weeks of strike, 20,000 colleagues will come to Bucharest, from across the country. Thousand of colleagues are currently in means of transport from various counties of the country, they are all coming to Bucharest. The requests are simple: dignity and respect. We had enough of being offended, we have had it with being humiliated, we are tired of being ignored. Things that are happening for over 30 years. We have decided to say 'Stop!' and convey to all politicians that regardless of their pressures, we still hold on. I don't believe in promises, I don't believe in agreements, I don't believe in memorandums. In fact, in Romania one cannot believe that any law can be enforced. At the moment, they wish (the teaching staff on strike, e.n) very clearly that all the salary demands be implemented swiftly through a normative act and not in the future, but right now," Nistor told Digi 24 private television station.
When asked what type of normative act would satisfy the teachers so they return to the classroom, the union leader mentioned: "the emergency ordinance."
"They have the pay scale, they know what the benchmark is and it can be implemented as a matter of urgency. If they don't have the money, then they should make a budget revision and reprioritise their spending at the state level. Education is important, it is above all," he added.
Nistor also said that on Friday, at 12:00hrs, the union leaders will respond to an invitation from the Government, for new negotiations.
The official of the union federation conveyed to the pupils to have confidence in them and understand that the demarches are legitimate.
The union leader firmly said that there is no chance that the strike ends on Friday and that "everything depends on the decisions which the Executive can make and, certainly, on what our colleagues decide."
The unions in Education are expecting 20,000 people to attend the protests organised on Friday, in Bucharest, from 11:00hrs to 16:00hrs.
The Government approved on Thursday a Declaration, with a memorandum annexed, as an "additional guarantee" regarding the sectoral policy of salaries for the staff of the national education system, in accordance with the teachers' request in this regard.
In this context, President of the "Spiru Haret" Trade Unions Federation in Education Marius Nistor said that the Memorandum through which the Government commits to provide additional guarantees regarding the salaries of new teachers does not present many legal guarantees. He added that the document includes a part of the proposals, namely the reference to the average gross salary, which should be equivalent of the salary of a long-term higher education beginner teacher and also refers to the tranche to be paid as of 1 January, however, the unions in Education also had other demands which are not included in the document.
The general strike in education started on 22 May 2023.
