Opposition Party: Teachers’ Strike Reaction to Problems in Education System

Panorama of Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

The People’s Movement of Serbia supported on Oct. 31 the demands of educational workers who are seeking higher salaries and their announced strike on Nov. 1 saying that their demands were justified.

People’s Movement of Serbia vice-president and MP Ana Jakovljevic said that it was of key importance that the dignity of educational workers be restored and that they received the respect that they deserved.

Commenting on the announced Nov. 1 strike, she stressed that it was a reaction to long standing problems in the education system and teachers’ dissatisfaction adding that the main reasons for the strike were the insufficient financing of education, the low salaries of teachers, inadequate work conditions and a lack of support for performing increasingly more complicated tasks in the area of modern education.

“The union of education workers is demanding that salaries be raised, so that they are in accordance with the average wage which would reflect the importance of the education sector in society. Teachers’ salaries are currently among the lowest in the public sector, which causes a lack of motivation on the part of employees and makes attracting new personnel harder,” she said.