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Polish teachers threaten to strike over pay

PR dla Zagranicy
Tomasz Ferenc 05.03.2019 14:20
Polish teachers have warned they could launch a strike lasting indefinitely unless the government increases their wages by PLN 1,000 (EUR 230) a month.
Head of Polish Teachers’ Union Sławomir Broniarz during a press conference in Warsaw. Photo: PAP/Jakub KamińskiHead of Polish Teachers’ Union Sławomir Broniarz during a press conference in Warsaw. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kamiński

The head of the Polish Teachers’ Union, Sławomir Broniarz, announced on Monday that teachers would decide in a referendum later this month whether or not to go on strike.

Broniarz was quoted by public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency as saying that “April 8 would be the starting date of the strike in schools.”

He added: “The strike would last indefinitely, and the decision to call it off would be taken by the authorities of the Polish Teachers’ Union.”

According to government officials, the strike date set by the union is controversial because pupils in Polish middle and elementary schools are to take their final exams on April 10 and 15.

Poland's education minister, Anna Zalewska, said that the exams cannot be rescheduled.

“I think the teachers are perfectly aware that the exams cannot be rescheduled in any way,” Zalewska was quoted by IAR as saying.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki appealed to teachers to refrain from striking, saying that “it will hurt children and their parents.”

Zalewska said the government has already raised teachers’ salaries and plans to increase them even further this year.

(tf/pk)

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