Education trade unions demand to increase the lump-sum payment for young specialists by 20,000 lei. Thus, this payment for college graduates would rise to 50,000 lei, while for university graduates to 70,000 lei.

Dumitru Ivanov, chairman of the General Council of Education and Science Trade Unions Federation, has told IPN that it is about the young specialists who are assigned jobs in schools and kindergartens. The trade unions asked that the same lump-sum should be also paid to specialists who are assigned work in Chisinau municipality as well, not only to those who go to work in rural areas.

According to Dumitru Ivanov, about 1,700 young people annually graduate in Moldova, but only about 350 of them go to work in education institutions. They make effort to obtain this lump-sum payment for as many young specialists as possible. “This is an obligation of the Government for keeping them in the system as the specialists cannot live on the salaries they get,” stated the trade union leader.

He also said that the allowance paid now to young specialists is not sufficient to cover the maintenance costs. “Most of them live in rented accommodations. But the school needs them. Now 52% of the teachers in schools are pensioners. The schools must be provided with young specialists,” said Dumitru Ivanov.

According to him, not even the rise asked at this stage is enough for covering the costs of young specialists. “We will yet ask for changes. We will see the state of affairs in a year and will demand that the government should take other measures too,” stated the trade union leader.

Currently, the college graduates who take the job assigned to them by the Ministry of Education get a lump-sum payment of 24,000 lei, while the university graduates of 30,000 lei.