The strike in 30 schools across 15 municipalities began on Tuesday. On Wednesday, 27 schools and 600 teachers continued their protest. Based on preliminary information, less than 40 percent of teachers in those schools took part in the strike.
As reported, the United Representation of Lithuanian Educational Trade Unions submitted a list of 6 demands to the Ministry of Education and Science, and expects they will be fulfilled already this year. The trade unions demand: to reinstate education vouchers to pre-2009 level from LTL 3,348 to LTL 3,774 (from EUR 970 to EUR 1,093); to reinstate the basic monthly salary from LTL 122 to LTL 128 (from EUR 35 to EUR 37). It is also demanded to equalise salaries of pre-school teachers and teachers, to sign a collective labour agreement and establish favourable conditions by 1 September 2015 for teachers to retire at the age of 55. The trade unions also asked to reduce the number of schoolchildren in classes.
Minister of Education and Science Dainius Pavalkis said that next year none of the strikers' demands will be met.
