Education sector unions continue strike

Education sector unions continue strike

BELGRADE -- Education sector workers in Serbia have been striking since Monday by cutting classes to 30 from 45 minutes.

This has been taking place in those schools where four trade unions have their representatives, Jasna Janković of the Association of Trade Unions of Education Workers told Tanjug on Monday.

So far there has been no invitation from the Ministry of Education to talk, and more and more schools are joining the protest, she told Tanjug.

Janković said that on Tuesday, the number stood at 1,230 out of Serbia's 1,786 schools, and that the strike would continue until the unions' demands have been met.

Asked to comment on the ministry's numbers that were "very different," Janković said the ministry counts only those schools where all classes are cut to be on strike, while the unions find it enough that at least one teacher joins their protest.

The education sector unions want to be exempt, "until pay grades have been arranged for all public sector employees," fom the government's decision to reduce salaries in the public sector. They also oppose any changes to Article 5 of the Basic Education System Law, that now provides for those laid off to be given jobs first, while competitions to employ new teachers are announced only after that.

The unions also demand the signing of a new collective contract, as the one currently in force is expiring, and want to keep "jubilee awards and per diem allowances."