Local teachers began a campaign of industrial action on Monday in protest against the recent “Law of Extraordinary Measures” introducing wage cuts and changes to working conditions for public sector employees.
Most local schools held meetings with parents on the first day of industrial action, Monday February 1, 2011, to explain how their protest would affect the pupils.
Apart from hanging publicity banners declaring “For a Quality Public Education, Enough Cuts” at the main entrance of most of local education centres, the teachers are refusing to carry out of hours duties within reading times and will stop work for 10 minutes every Tuesday at 9am. Other measures are envisaged.
The industrial action is part of a national campaign against central Government austerity measures which will leave teachers an average of 75 euros short in their monthly pay packets. Under the legislation teacher’s hours have been increased from 35 to 37.5 hours weekly; cuts allowances for substituting colleagues; cuts the number of sanitary and security staff by 10%; suspends pension contributions as well as another 15 pacts previously made with teachers’ unions. Free time for union activities has also been cut by 30%.
The law was passed on December 22 and the first cuts affected the December pay packet of all public sector workers.
