Category Archives: International

Sofia News Agency: Scandal Disrupts Bulgaria Teachers Talks, No Let Up in Strike

After another day of rallying in downtown Sofia, representatives of the striking teachers furiously walked out of talks with the cabinet, aimed at breaking the deadlock over their demands for higher wages.

Unionist leader Yanka Takeva said she was shocked by the development of the talks and accused the cabinet of backing out on an offer that had inspired hopes the gap between the two warring sides may be narrowing.

The first indication of a breakthrough was given on Wednesday, when the two parties agreed on 20% increase in the education workers’ wages as of November.

“That means the rise is set up at BGN 88,80 for all people, who work in the education system,” syndicate representative explained.

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Haaretz: University strike / Academic year fails to start after last-minute talks fall through

Representatives of the country’s senior faculty unions announced an open-ended strike for better pay yesterday, after Saturday night’s talks with government representatives failed to produce an agreement.

Education Minister Yuli Tamir expressed disappointment with the unions’ rejection of the government’s proposal, and yesterday, she suggested appointing a mediator for a predetermined time period. But the professors said they had not heard about her offer, which she made to the Finance Ministry’s wages director, Eli Cohen.

Since no date has been set for further negotiations, the strike is expected to continue tomorrow.

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Sofia News Agency: No Light at the End of Bulgaria Teachers’ Tunnel

Talks hosted by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Education and joined by experts in a bid to bridge the gap between the cabinet and the striking teachers yielded no results on Monday.

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Haaretz: Tamir to meet union in last-ditch effort to prevent open-ended high school strike

The education minister will meet the high school teachers’ union chairman today in a last-ditch effort to avert the general strike in secondary schools, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.

Jerusalem Post: Unjustifiable strike

The Secondary School Teachers Organization announced yesterday that it would strike on Wednesday, following months of “drawn out” wage negotiations with the Finance Ministry.

Teachers’ basic salaries are indeed abysmally low, starting at around NIS 2,800 per month. Even teachers with a Master’s degree and 15 years’ experience earn just NIS 7,202 per month, about NIS 3,000 less than a similarly qualified social worker in public service, according to union figures.

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Reueters: Thousands of Burundi teachers strike over salaries

Some 4,000 teachers in Burundi launched an open-ended strike on Monday three weeks into the new school year, claiming their salaries have not been paid.

The teachers, whose actions paralysed the tiny central African nation’s state secondary schools, say authorities have ignored claims stretching back years.

The teachers, who earn an average $35 to $40 a month, were also seeking the creation of a fund to build houses.

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KBC: KNUT threatens a strike act over delays in salary increment

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has threatened to conduct a nationwide wide teachers’ strike over salary increments.

KNUT says this will only be averted if the government immediately reconstitutes a committee mandated with negotiating their terms and conditions of service.

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ON STRIKE: Vassil Aprilov primary school in Sofia was among the first to join the teachers’ strike. The sign on the gates, ‘Stachka’ (strike), left no doubt about it. Photo: PETAR KOSTADINOV

The Sofia Echo: The Sofia Echo: BULGARIAN TEACHERS TO BLOCK SOFIA CITY CENTRE ON OCTOBER 11

A national meeting which will block the entire Sofia city centre for half a day is what the teachers’ unions have announced for October 11.

The strike committee has called on teachers, parents and students to assemble at 11.00 in front of the Council of Ministers and at 14.00 in front of Parliament, Za Grada said.
The Sofia Echo: Striking messages in Bulgaria

After a week and a half, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev officially acknowledged the scale of the teachers’ strike, the teachers are demanding a 100 per cent salary increase. On October 3, Stanishev said that the country was faced with “a serious reality with the entire education sector going on strike”. Stanishev was speaking at a conference in Sofia entitled Second Decade of Growth: Risks and Opportunities, organised by Bulgarian newspaper Kapital and German newspaper Handelsblatt.

FOCUS Information Agency: Teachers in Bulgaria to build tent camp in front of the National Theatre

Sofia. The effective strike of the teachers in Bulgaria continues with protests and rallies in the entire state. The strike committee organized a tent camp starting at 14.00 in the park in front of Ivan Vazov National Theatre. There the protesters would collect signatures supporting their demands for higher salaries. Teachers’ protest will start at 16.30 at Nezavisimost Square in the capital. Trade Union’s demand is 100% gradually increasing of the salaries till June 2008. Minister of Education Daniel Valchev has offered a 30% hike – 10% in January 1 and July 1 and the rest 10% in two times next year, saying it did not have the funds for a bigger hike. According to Trade Union’s information more than 80 per cent of the schools and kindergartens went on strike.

The Sofia Echo: Teachers in Bulgaria: on their own

A Bulgarian village school headmaster has spoken to The Sofia Echo of his frustration at the handling of the national teachers’ strike.

Roman Bratoev, who heads the SS Cyril and Methodius school in Marchaevo outside Sofia, criticised the conduct of the Bulgarian Teachers’ Union (BTU), saying: “There is no co-ordination whatsoever among the schools about the strike.”

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allAfrica.com:

Zimbabwe: Confusion As Some Teachers Stay Home Despite Deal With Government

Confusion surrounds the situation regarding teachers in the country after the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) made a deal with the government last Thursday and ordered striking teachers back to work. As of Monday, some teachers from ZIMTA said they were not returning to their posts until the agreed Z$ 14 million for September was in their accounts.

Zimbabwe: Teachers’ Strike Shuts Down Schools

THOUSANDS of disgruntled teachers will tomorrow shun classrooms, signalling the beginning of one of the most potentially crippling strikes in the education sector since independence.

The industrial action, over poor pay and what the teachers describe as appalling working conditions could lead to the shutdown of all government, mission and council schools in the country.

Zimbabwe: Majongwe Threatened With Death As Police Urges Teachers to Strike

The leader of a combative teachers union, Raymond Majongwe, alleges that Zimbabwe’s feared secret police have threatened him with death for calling a teachers strike that has crippled the country’s education system.

newZimbabwe.com: Zimbabwe teachers strike over pay

ZIMBABWE’S largest teachers’ union called a crippling nationwide strike starting Monday this week demanding more pay.

Several schools up and down the country closed down on the first day of the strike as teachers heeded the strike call. In some schools which opened, teachers refused to conduct lessons.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) said the withdrawal of labour was caused by “extreme poverty” suffered by teachers due to poor pay.

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