FENPROF in no mood to cut incoming political leaders any slack
FENPROF, Portugal’s national federation of teachers, has announced today that it will maintain its ongoing strikes/ industrial action – warning the next government that it “will face strong opposition” if it “intends to weaken State schools”.
“In convergence with the other eight union associations, the strikes on overtime, extra work and non-teaching hours will be maintained,” announced FENPROF secretary general Mário Nogueira, at the end of the meeting of the national secretariat.
Since September last year (the beginning of the academic year), teachers have been on strike in protest at the extra hours they work each week, explained the leader of the federation, which recently published a national survey revealing that teachers work an average of more than 50 hours a week.
Nogueira suggests the next government should start by addressing the conditions of teachers’ working hours “alongside the (issue of) recovery of length of service and revision of the sickness mobility scheme”.
Regarding last Sunday’s election results, FENPROF is expecting a PSD government, supported by CDS-PP/ independents and Iniciativa Liberal – and warned that whatever transpires, the executive cannot be seen to “jeopardise State schools”.
Nogueira pointed to one of the federation’s ‘red lines’ being the increase in association contracts with private educational establishments – which “haven’t filled schools with pupils, but have filled the pockets of many owners with millions of euros”.
For FENPROF, the only name put forward so far as a possible minister of education is Alexandre Homem Cristo, a former adviser to the Portuguese parliament.
“If that were to happen, it would be a bad sign right from the start. It is not about the person, it is about the policy he defends, which is privatisation.
If the next government aims to weaken State schools in the name of other people’s interests, it will face strong opposition from us,” Nogueira reiterated.
Results won by CHEGA, which elected 48 MPs, also “worry FENPROF”, which accuses the party of calling into question “fundamental rules of democracy” and of showing “intolerance towards difference, because it considers it unnatural”.
Mário Nogueira recalled the UNESCO call to combat hate speech, which has often been attributed to CHEGA MPs – particularly when it comes to issues related to gender self-determination rights in schools.
The secretary-general of Fenprof guaranteed that “teachers will not act out of fear and minor evils” and that this is the time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 25 April revolution, “remembering those who have always fought for this day, for State schools and for this democratic society”.
“We will not stop fighting for a democratic school that is capable of responding to everyone, whether they are Portuguese born in Portugal or foreigners who are the children of immigrants,” he added.
Fenprof will now wait for the new members of parliament to take office, before delivering four petitions: The first will be on teachers’ working conditions, which has 12,793 signatures.
This will be followed by a petition on combating job insecurity, another on the specific retirement scheme (which already has more than 14,600 signatures) and finally, a petition on counting length of service, which has passed 17,000 signatures.
When the ministry of education’s new team is known, FENPROF plans to deliver a proposal for a negotiating protocol, which will make “clear the intention to defend State schools”, to value the teaching profession, making it attractive so that “many of the thousands of professionals who have abandoned it” can be persuaded back.
A proposal for a negotiating protocol for “adequate funding for education” will also be presented, writes Lusa.
