Nausėda: The government seeks to transfer the burden of obligations regarding teachers’ salaries to the new Cabinet of Ministers
“Naturally, the Government would probably like to raise wages less from January 1, and raise them more from September, because there will only be 4 months left until the end of the year, which means completely different finances. However, if the salary is raised already in September, that salary will be valid for an unlimited time in the future”, G. Nausėda told LNK television on Monday.
“It is natural that this Government would like to transfer this greater burden of obligation to the next Government,” he added.
“Teachers’ demands, in my opinion, are important, they need to be evaluated through the prism of budget possibilities. And as long as both sides see an opportunity to come to an agreement, I think they should try all the options, and then we will see,” said the head of the country.
LŠMPS requires the ministry to increase teachers’ salaries next year to the extent that they reach 130 percent. from the national average wage. It is also required to reduce the number of students in classes and review the structure of the teacher’s tenure. The educators of the union are also asking for a review of the funding of educational assistance and pre-school education.
Another teachers’ union, led by Andrias Navickos, plans to start a month-long strike this Friday. Members of the education workers trade union already went on strike for 2 hours in September.
The trade union of education workers led by A. Navickos demanded to raise teachers’ salaries by 20 percent this year. He also requested that from 2024 January 1 salaries would increase by another 30 percent. In this case, the total salary growth would reach 56 percent.
Lithuanian Education Workers’ Union (LŠDPS) has also expressed the need to reduce the number of students in newly formed classes, and suggests providing a better procedure for working with students with special educational needs.
The Minister of Education, who met with the leaders of teachers’ trade unions, G. Yakshta on Friday submitted a proposal to increase teachers’ wages by 21 percent in the coming year, and to raise salaries by 10 percent from January. However, such a proposal did not satisfy any trade union.