“I don’t want to question or in any way look at the numbers that Mr. Navick is putting out because, from what I know, when the school leaders asked for specific information about which teachers were on strike so that they could make organizational changes and teach those first two classes maybe other teachers or other decisions would have been made in schools, it was refused to do so, reasoning that the trade union is not obliged to do so,” he told Žinių radio on Thursday Head of the Government.
“I would rather guess that the number that Mr. Navick is declaring is more about the number of his union members than the actual number of teachers who would actually be on strike,” she argued.
The Prime Minister said that she believes that the majority of teachers fully understand that it is impossible to change the budget significantly in the middle of the year.
“No one has the ability to open the budget and somehow now solve the issues and fulfill the requirements related to the salary from September 1, as is required by Mr. Navick. It simply cannot be done. The whole discussion is about the 2024 budget,” she emphasized.
According to I.Šimonytė, next week the Minister of Education, Science and Sports Gintautas Jakštas plans to meet with representatives of all education trade unions and present the Government’s opportunities to implement the commitment of the national education agreement and the Government’s commitment to raise the average salary of pedagogues to 130% from next September. average national wage.
“It’s about 20 percent. wage growth. Considering that the planned wage growth in the economy next year is 6.5 percent, 20 percent. is not just more, but sometimes more than the average wage growth in the economy. But the agreement needs to be implemented and we will implement it”, said I.Šimonytė.
According to her, next year there is no possibility to raise salaries for teachers in one go from January 1st, so this increase is planned to be divided into two parts.
According to the Prime Minister, this is done when calculating the 2025 budget.
“Here we are talking about amounts close to 300 million. additional euros, which means that it is necessary to calibrate those steps very well so that it is not an unbearable burden for the future Government, which will approve the 2025 budget,” she said.
Demanding an increase in teachers’ salaries from September this year, the trade union of Lithuanian education workers is organizing a warning strike of teachers.
According to the data of the chairman of this trade union, Andriaus Navickos, 228 educational institutions and about 5,000 of their employees are planning to strike.
It is demanded that salaries be increased by 20% from September, another 30% from January of next year, the number of students in classes should be reduced, etc.
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#Prime #Minister #doubts #workers #strike #teachers
**Interview with Prime Minister I. Šimonytė on Teacher Strikes and Budget Challenges**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us, Prime Minister Šimonytė. Recently, discussions surrounding the ongoing teachers’ strike have intensified, particularly regarding the claims made by Mr. Navick about strike participation. Can you clarify your position on the numbers he has presented?
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** Of course. While I don’t want to dispute Mr. Navick’s figures, it seems that they may reflect the number of union members rather than the actual number of teachers participating in the strike. Our schools requested specific information about the striking teachers to consider alternate staffing arrangements, but the union declined to provide this information.
**Editor:** That raises important organizational questions. How do you believe this lack of data affects school operations during the strike?
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** It complicates the situation significantly. Without knowing which teachers are absent, school leaders cannot make informed decisions on how to manage their classes effectively. This lack of transparency from the union hinders our ability to adapt to the circumstances.
**Editor:** Moving on to the budget, you’ve mentioned the inability to make significant changes mid-year. Can you elaborate on what that means for the teachers’ salary demands?
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** Absolutely. The reality is that legislative processes do not allow for quick budget adjustments to meet Mr. Navick’s requests for salary increases starting September 1. The discussion is centered on the upcoming 2024 budget, where we can strategize for salary increments.
**Editor:** There’s been talk about a proposed salary increase for teachers next year. What commitment has the government made regarding this?
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** Our Minister of Education, Gintautas Jakštas, is set to meet with education trade unions next week to present our plan, which includes a commitment to raise the average salary of teachers to 130% of the average national wage by next September. This corresponds to an approximate 20% increase, which is more substantial than the anticipated 6.5% wage growth in the broader economy.
**Editor:** That sounds promising. How do you plan to implement this agreement while managing expectations amidst a challenging economic environment?
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** We are fully committed to honoring this agreement. However, it requires a careful balance within our budgetary constraints, and open dialogue with all stakeholders in the education sector will be key. We must ensure that while we aspire for these salary increases, we also remain responsible stewards of public finances.
**Editor:** Thank you, Prime Minister Šimonytė, for sharing your insights on this important topic. We hope to see productive discussions continue to take place.
**Prime Minister Šimonytė:** Thank you for having me. It’s crucial that we work together for the future of our education system.
