A total of 543 teachers are on strike, or approximately 45.6 percent of teachers in schools that declared a strike.
Based on the Labour Code, representatives of the strike committee and heads of schools are responsible for schoolchildren's safety as long as the strike is ongoing.
Andrius Navickas, Chairman of Lithuanian Education Employees' Trade Union (LSDPS), says the strike may continue from 1 to 2 weeks.
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.
