TUESWU: No restriction of teachers’ rights in new laws

On 13 July 2017 teachers from different regions of Ukraine picketed the Parliament of Ukraine protesting against restriction of teachers’ social and economic rights and guarantees in the new draft Law on Education. The draft law was on the agenda of the Parliament that day but parliamentarians failed to consider it before the summer holidays and the consideration of the draft law in the second reading is postponed till September.

The Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine has repeatedly requested authorities to take into account the position of the Trade Union and to maintain existing rights and guarantees of the education workers.

During the nation-wide campaign more than 650 thousand teachers signed the petition supporting trade union demands.

The Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine called all the members of the Parliament regardless of their political affiliation to support the inclusion of the following proposals into the new law on education:

– to ensure public financing of education of at least 10% of GDP;

– to set the salary of the education workers of the lowest qualification category at the level of at least 3 national minimum wages, and the salary of the academic workers at the level, two times higher than the salary of education workers of the lowest qualification category;

– to provide for at least 10% difference between salaries of different qualification categories;

– to provide for additional remuneration of education workers in the amount of 10-50% of their salary for performing additional types of educational activities;

– to provide for annual payment of at least one salary to education workers for excellent performance;

– to provide for 20% increase in the salary of those education workers who completed the certification instead of the proposed allowance and to provide for 15-25% increase in the salary of those education workers who work with students with special needs, particularly in inclusive classes and groups;

– to provide for the seniority allowance of 10% of the salary.

The Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine hopes that while discussing the draft Law on Education members of the Parliament will strictly follow the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine that “the content and scope of the existing rights and freedoms shall not be diminished by an adoption of new laws or by introducing amendments to the effective laws.” The trade union calls the MPs not to reduce existing rights and guarantees of trade union workers and to provide in the new law for their gradual convergence with the European practice depending on the national GDP.

The Trade Union is planning new activities in support of its demands in autumn when the Parliament resumes its work. They will be also linked to the EI campaign «Teaching in freedom, empowering teachers» in advance of the World Teachers’ Day.

International Department