ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - The strike in primary schools has failed, given that only eight percent of schools had a complete stoppage, while 68 percent of schools was open, Croatian Education Minister Vladimir Strugar said on Monday
afternoon.
ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - The strike in primary schools has failed,
given that only eight percent of schools had a complete stoppage,
while 68 percent of schools was open, Croatian Education Minister
Vladimir Strugar said on Monday afternoon. #L#
According to figures released by the ministry, 66 of 825 elementary
schools in Croatia joined in the industrial action organised by the
Croatian (primary school) teachers' union (SHU), 561 schools
organised classes while in 198 schools some of the staff were on
strike.
The minister added that only 23 percent of the non-teaching staff,
whose salaries were the main reason for the strike, joined in the
strike.
The strike was staged by the SHU, which earlier announced the five-
day strike because the government decided to allocate additional
funds for the school system, to cover only an increase in the
salaries of teachers, while the non-teaching staff was not granted
a rise. The SHU also insists that the Education Ministry earmark
from its budget an additional 80 million kuna so that the gross
salaries of all employees in primary schools could rise by 10
percent.
The law turnout in the strike is in accordance with the forecasts of
the education ministry and opinion polls which showed that 73
percent of citizens was against the teachers' walkout.
Strugar reiterated that the time spent on strike would not be paid.
He refuted union accusations that the ministry had exerted pressure
on those who wanted to strike.
(hina) ms