Kyiv teachers picketed the Cabinet of Ministers

On 1 November, the Kyiv City Organisation of Education and Science Workers’ Union ‘Capital’s Teachers’ held a picket of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine urging to increase financing by 1 billion UAH. The action gathered about 3,000 teachers of school and preschool education facilities of Kyiv.

The resolution of the rally published on the website of the Kyiv City Organisation of Education and Science Workers’ Union says ‘The educational subvention from the State Budget 2018 for Kyiv is provided in the amount of 2.7 billion UAH with the need of 3.9 billion UAH. That is, the Cabinet of Ministers has cut the payroll of the capital’s teachers by 1.2 billion UAH.

Teachers are sure that ‘there is a risk of dismissal of 7,000 teachers or reducing wages by not paying extra for prestige of pedagogical work and complexity and tension in at work.’ They urge the Cabinet of Ministers to review the subvention for Kyiv and allocate 3.9 billion UAH to ensure payment of wages in full. They also urged to establish a wage for the workers of low qualification category in the amount of at least three minimum wages; increase scientific and pedagogical workers’ wages by 25%; provide funds for training; raise academic and social scholarships.

‘If they ignore the teachers’ fair demands, we will start the process of entering into a collective labour dispute,’ the resolution says.

The decision to launch an All-Ukrainian Protest Action ‘Trade Union Autumn Offensive’ scheduled for 14 November will be finally adopted at the trade union conference call on 3 November.