European Trade Union Committee for Education

According to the news portal “Sputnik”, at the floral offering on 31 August  2015 for the writers in the Alley of Classics, a lady introduced herself as a university teacher and told the Prime Minister that she and her colleagues were starving to death due to the miserable wages. The news portal “Sputnik” informed that this recent incident provides significant evidence for the dire position of teachers in Moldova.

On 2 September 2015, the Deputy Director of the Natalia Gheorghiu lyceum (secondary school), Irina Kashchuk confirmed the news portal "Sputnik" that young teachers are obliged to leave the country in search of better working conditions.  Due to the low salaries in the education system, the teaching profession is unpopular among young professionals. Later, on the same day, Dmitry Ivanov, the President of the Education and Science Trade Union Federation from Moldova, told the news portal “Sputnik” that teachers are going to organise a protest demonstration if the authorities ignore their demands to increase teachers’ salaries. Adelina Danii, the International Secretary of the Education and Science Trade Union Federation from Moldova, confirmed above mentioned information.  She said that on 9 September, our member organisation in Moldova organised a meeting gathering  regional, district, university and college leaders in order to comment on and make a complete revision of their demand. Around 65 education leaders as well as numerous mass media representatives attended the meeting. “The Minister of Education was also invited to participate in our meeting; however, she couldn’t come and delegated her Deputy Minister, who also didn’t attend the meeting. Our trade union leaders felt resentful that they were not being listened to”, said Ms. Danii.

“Last year, as a result of a three-day picketing and a huge meeting at which  more than 5000 teachers and non-teaching staff came together, the government increased teachers’ salaries by 27%. That was a victory for us. However, due to the rise of prices for services, food and even bread, the last year salary increase is not sufficient anymore,” concluded, Ms. Danii. On 9 September 2015, The Education and Science Trade Union Federation from Moldova approved the list of requirements that was sent to the President of Moldova, the Parliament, Moldovan authorities, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection and to all Moldovan trade union organisations.  Our members in Moldova demand unconditional compliance with the existing Law Nr.355 guaranteeing a salary increase by 5-6 % from 1 September 2015; to foresee a salary increase of 50 % for education staff when drawing up the next annual budget; to even out salaries of non-teaching staff with at least the existing minimum salary in the country (which is now 77, 44 €); the fulfilment of the government’s decision guaranteeing allowance distribution of 1554, 76 € to young professionals working in rural areas during their first 3 working years (from 1 January 2015 young professionals have not received any allowance due to the lack of funds and a concrete Regulation) and an increase in scholarships by 100% from 1 September 2015 (students’ scholarships have not been increased since2009).