ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - Education and Sports Minister Vladimir Strugar on Friday called on parents to send their children to school on January 13 as schools would be open and classes and other school activities organised as
usual.
ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - Education and Sports Minister Vladimir
Strugar on Friday called on parents to send their children to school
on January 13 as schools would be open and classes and other school
activities organised as usual. #L#
The students will be received by school principals and other
employees who will not go on strike, and they are in the majority,
Strugar said at a news conference.
The Croatian Teachers Union, which has been supported by the Union
of Secondary School Employees, has announced a strike in primary
schools to take place between 13 and 17 January. The Independent
Union of Secondary School Employees has announced a day-long strike
for January 15.
The unions are organising the strike because of the government's
decision to allocate an additional 200 million kuna for the
education system this year exclusively for the salaries of
teachers, not including non-teaching staff.
Strugar stated there was no reason for teachers not to go to work,
particularly as it had been agreed at Thursday's meeting with
school principles that most employees would come to work.
Strugar said the Education Ministry would not additionally
negotiate with the unions about a salary increase and reiterated
that the hours spent on strike would not be paid.
He described as unfair the unions' underestimating of a seven
percent increase in the salaries of teachers because it would
require increasing the salaries of employees with similar
qualifications working in other public and state services, for
which there are currently no budgetary funds.
Assistant Minister Ivan Vavra said the average salary in primary
schools in December 2002 amounted to 4,380 kuna (EUR584) while the
average salary in secondary schools totalled 4,720 kuna (EUR629).
(hina) rml