European Action Movement demands higher salaries for teachers

Higher stipends and salaries in the education system, favourable working conditions for the teachers in all the educational establishments, well defined prospects for graduates – these are the demands of the participants in a protest meeting held in front of the Education Ministry building by the European Action Movement (MAE) for the second day in a row. Although directly connected with the reason for the protest, the teachers missed the event, with few exceptions. MAE leader Anatol Petrenco explains that the teachers feel at risk of losing their jobs, that is why they didn’t join the rally. “Our message is heard and endorsed by the teachers. Their indignation is deep, but silenced by their own fear. They would have closed the schools to protest here, hadn’t they been afraid of losing the little they have”, the leader of the Movement told Info-Prim Neo. For two days the participants are picketing the Ministry of Education without a clearly formulated list of demands. According to Petrenco, this is because the protesters disagree with the authorities on many questions, like the minimum consumer’s basket, the minimum subsistence level, and others. But the list with the demands will be definitely placed on Minister Victor Tvrircun’s table by Wednesday, October 3. The protesters said they wouldn’t demand the dismissal of the Education Minister, because there is no minister in the Tarlev Cabinet who could do better. Yet they will demand higher salaries for teachers, which should approach the level of those paid in the European countries. MAE president asserts that the ruling party failed to fulfil its electoral promise to raise the salaries of teachers to 300 dollars, as there is not enough time for reforms until the 2009 parliamentary elections. The protesters have been authorised to gather until Saturday, October 6, when they are expected to adopt a resolution of the meeting. The organisers hope that on that day the attendance will grow significantly, as the teachers will be free to join the rally on their day off.