Strike Called Off, Securing Secondary School Exams This Saturday

More than 18,000 candidates who were set to take the exams for teaching positions in Secondary Education in the Community this Saturday can now breathe a sigh of relief. The strike, which was scheduled to coincide with the second day of the exam (the practical phase), will not take place.

The Ministry of Education has reached an agreement with the unions STEPV and the Workers' Union Council to call off the strike. As a result of this agreement, the Ministry commits to paying attendance bonuses to the members of the examining panel without requiring them to prove they have worked in the evening session. In practice, this means that the Ministry acknowledges that the weekly commitment of the panel members exceeds 37.5 hours, which was a demand from the unions.

The Director General of Teaching Staff stated that thanks to the agreement, "the more than 18,000 people taking the exams will be able to do so normally in the second test." The first test took place on Saturday, May 24.

The two unions acknowledge that the negotiations were conducted in a "cordial and conciliatory" tone, and they assert that "without struggle, no agreement favourable to the interests of workers is achieved."

Both parties are also negotiating a new system to relieve panel members from their teaching duties, replacing them in their schools while the selection process lasts.

The candidates in this call are assessed by 300 panels composed of 1,500 teachers. The Ministry of Education assures that these individuals receive, in addition to their monthly salary, the compensations established in Decree 7/2023, of January 27, by the Consell, which amends the annex of Decree 24/1997, of February 11, on service-related indemnities and bonuses for extraordinary services.

In this selection process, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities, and Employment offers a total of 1,607 positions, of which 1,590 are for 33 Secondary Education specialties, six for EOI, two for music teachers, seven for unique FP sectors, and two for plastic arts teachers.