Parties criticise cancellation of wage increases in education

Two extra-parliamentary parties criticise the decision of the government to cancel the changes to the wage system in the state-paid sector, by means of which the wages of the persons employed in the field of education had to be increased at the beginning of the year. According to a statement from the Conservative Party of Moldova (CPM), quoted by Info-Prim Neo, by amending in December 2006 the Law on the wage system in the education field, the wage raises in this field were cancelled. CPM is indignant at the fact that the Government decision on the creation of 300 thousand workplaces by 2009 and increase in the average wage up to USD 300 specifies that the possible raises will be operated depending on the resources of the budget. “The Government, as usual, makes excuses for its own helplessness and incompetence. Given that the present wage can not ensure a decent living to teachers, the talks about the GDP or a richer national budget are inefficient”, the statement says. According to the statement, the problems in the field of education are due to the improper taxation of the teachers who are forced to work in several places because of the lack of financial means; the burden they have to bear because they take loans to buy elementary goods; inappropriate clothing of the teachers; the high rate of women, pensioners and unqualified teaching staff in education; the risk of massive protests, which will paralyse the activity of schools and universities. PCM announces that the joint legal, economic and political efforts, as well as the civic initiatives for the settlement of the crisis are absolutely necessary in this situation. Another political party, the Social-Democrat Party of Moldova (SDPM) expressed its discontent about the violation by the government of the legislation related to the wage increases for the state employees, including education, which have to be carried out in 2007. The cancellation of the wage raises stipulated by the Law 355-XVI through the recent amendments is an act of irresponsibility showed by the incumbent government with respect to the teachers. SDPM says that the statements of the specialised ministry about the lack of teaching staff can be hardly understood in light of the fact that 40 thousand teachers work in inhuman conditions with laughable wages. Graduates from pedagogic faculties refuse to work for a wage of MDL 500-600, taking into consideration that an average monthly wage constitutes MDL 1695.4. SDPM considers that namely the Government is directly responsible for the fact that about 3000 teachers left their jobs in 2001-2006, of which 1700 - last year. At the same time, the party says that the intense anticorruption campaign in the education field aims at intimidating and bringing into disrepute the teachers. This campaign was launched to moderate the claims of the teachers who are decided to continue the fight for their rights and to protest. “We consider that the argument brought in by the government, namely the fact that there are not enough financial means in the budget, is a lame excuse that is not complying with the statements about the social character of the budget. The unjustified expenses of about MDL 200 mln for the reconstruction of “Eternity” Memorial and of Pan Halipa Street, monument to Stefan cel Mare, square of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as for the repair works of Botanica-Centru aqueduct, buildings of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Justice Court might have been enough for the wage raises in 2007”, the statement says. SDPM requests to immediately increase the teachers’ wage up to the level of the average wage and afterwards to adjust the wage of the state employees to the inflation rate. At the same time, the party supports the initiative of the Education and Science Trade Union to organise a protest meeting and makes common cause with the teachers who request the annulling of the Law 422, by means of which the wage increases for the state employees in 2007 were cancelled.