The three teachers’ organizations—POED, OELMEK, and OLTEK, have decided to convene their governing bodies to consider taking strong countermeasures, expressing their strong dissatisfaction with the stance taken by the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth (YPAN) regarding the promotion of a bill concerning the appointment system in public education.
In a joint statement, the teachers’ organizations state that “the Ministry’s actions to date constitute a lack of respect for the teachers’ organizations and their institutional role.” “The tragic delay in initiating dialogue on such a serious issue, the Ministry of Education’s unyielding stance regarding the professional future of hundreds of teachers and the possibility that many will be left out of the system, directly undermine social dialogue,” they note.
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At the same time, they argue that “the Ministry of Education is misinforming the public by claiming to have adopted ‘9 out of the 10 recommendations made by the unions,’” adding, “nothing could be further from the truth!.”
Furthermore, they emphasize that “the bill, which the Ministry has announced is being put out for public consultation, had not even been shared with the educational organizations.” Therefore, they point out, “it is, at the very least, contradictory for the Ministry of Education to publicly invoke dialogue, institutionality, and accountability, while in practice it disregards its institutional counterparts, even excluding them from being informed about the bill’s content.” “Social dialogue cannot serve as a pretext for predetermined decisions, nor can the government invoke it selectively, as circumstances dictate,” they emphasize.
In addition, the teachers’ organizations note that “the stance of the President of the Republic is also a cause for serious concern,” adding that “despite the fact that for days now the teachers’ unions have sent a letter requesting a meeting to present their positions and concerns, they have not received any response to date.”
They also note that they submitted a relevant memorandum on October 8, requesting the intervention of the President of the Republic. This stance, they emphasize, “constitutes a disregard for the three teachers’ organizations and the 17,000 members they represent.” “It is paradoxical to ask the teachers’ unions to respect institutional procedures and avoid tensions, when the political and state authorities themselves do not show the same respect,” they add.
The teachers’ unions note that they have decided to convene their governing bodies in the coming days to provide updates, assess developments, and consider taking decisive countermeasures.
They add that they have decided to hold informational meetings with their members to ensure they are fully informed about the developments and the Ministry of Education’s actions, as well as a new round of joint meetings with political parties, with the aim of informing them and highlighting the serious issues that have arisen.
The teachers’ unions also report that they have decided to schedule a joint meeting with the Parliament’s Education Committee to present the unions’ positions and concerns, as well as to hold a joint meeting of the three organizations in the coming days to coordinate their actions and make joint decisions regarding measures to address the situation.
POED, OELMEK, and OLTEK emphasize “in the strongest possible terms that they will not accept any attempt to scapegoat their members and will not remain passive in the face of actions that infringe upon their rights and dignity and will lead to their dismissal.”
They also call on the Executive Branch “to assume its responsibilities, to demonstrate in practice the necessary respect for educational organizations, and to restore the conditions for substantive and institutional dialogue.”
“A willingness to engage in dialogue does not mean accepting disparagement, and patience does not constitute consent,” they state, emphasizing “that the unity of the teachers’ organizations is a given.” “With this as our guiding principle, we will act in a coordinated, collective, and decisive manner, defending our institutional role and the rights of our members,” they conclude.
Source: CNA
