Teachers quit plans for protest rally tomorrow

The teachers and other public sector employees have quit their plans to stage Thursday a protest rally in Chisinau, after unionists and the authorities reached an agreement on a raise, Info-Prim Neo learned from Ion Bulat, chair of the Education Union's Board. The decision on the raise for the teachers is to be either confirmed on infirmed today at the Cabinet's meeting. Initially, the teachers' rally was scheduled for September 17, but was later postponed to allow time for negotiations with the government. They warned they would take to the streets again on September 25 if the talks failed. The unions demand that the teachers' salaries be raised by 600 lei from September 1, and by another 900 lei from January 2009. By July 2009 the teachers' salaries must come up to the minimum subsistence level. The unionists protested in front of the Government's building during a week from September 1.