Lithuanian teachers go on strike because of $600 while Belarusian teachers work for 300
Lithuanian teachers have gone on a two-week strike: they come to school but they do not work for the first two hours. Their main demand is to increase their salary.
A teacher of the Russian language and literature of the Hermantas School of the city of Tsyalshei Nina Valkonene complained to ERB that it was impossible to survive earning 430 euro. She is the head teacher and has been working at school for 26 years for 1.5 salary, so she goes on strike.
Nіna Valkonene: I earn 430 euro. Our school and several other schools of Tsyalshei District are striking today. Klaipeda and some other cities will join us tomorrow. Colleagues from all over the country will support the action this week and it will resemble a whole wave.
Belarusian teachers earn half as much. Lithuanians are striking because of 430 euro while our teachers work for 300 USD.
The deputy headmaster of Minsk school #130 Larysa Marfin told how much her colleagues earned:
Larysa Marfіn: An experienced teacher working for a 1.5 salary for 25 years can get 580-600 thousand rubles. A young specialist who has just graduated earns about 300 or 350 thousands.
The Lithuanian government promised to raise teachers’ salary in September but it did not happen. Now they demand to increase their salary by 20% and then by 30% after the New Year’s Day. Nina Valkonene says that the protest does not affect pupils much.
Nina Valkonene: We are on a two-hour preliminary strike: we do not work from 8 till 10 a.m. There are no problems with pupils: we have made announcements and every form-master told pupils not to come to school till 10 a.m. We have also informed their parents.
A teacher of ethics of Adzhalinas School of Tsyalshei Nyakrashus Antanas supports his colleague: they are not satisfied with such a salary. They think that young specialists are the most unprotected – they only earn 235 euro. Nyakrashus Antanas calls it a funny sum of money.
Nyakrashus Antanas: Who can survive with this money? It is impossible to earn so little for a young specialist! The same problem is with pensioners: a teacher worked at school for 40 years and retired. Now she gets 700 litas. It is simply disgraceful. Now we are striking calmly but we will act more resolutely later.
While Lithuanian young specialists do not know how to survive with 235 euro, Belarusians are surviving with 100-150 dollars.
A young specialist, mathematics and informatics teacher of Pastavy School (Staradarozhski District) Yuliya Kastahruz says that she could not come to her senses when she got her first payment – 138 thousands for almost a month. Now she is getting 345 thousands per month.
Yulya Kastahryz: I immediately called to the accounts department and they informed me that I would be getting 240 thousands if I worked for 18 hours per week. Nobody is helping me so I asked for 27 hours, the position of form-master and anything else I could do. Now I am getting 345 thousands. I work day and night to earn this money. Moreover, I work in a rural area and I have not received any money for this although they keep promising.
It turns out that the most experienced Belarusian teachers get as much as Lithuanian young specialists.
Photo by — newsru.co.il
A teacher of the Russian language and literature of the Hermantas School of the city of Tsyalshei Nina Valkonene complained to ERB that it was impossible to survive earning 430 euro. She is the head teacher and has been working at school for 26 years for 1.5 salary, so she goes on strike.
Nіna Valkonene: I earn 430 euro. Our school and several other schools of Tsyalshei District are striking today. Klaipeda and some other cities will join us tomorrow. Colleagues from all over the country will support the action this week and it will resemble a whole wave.
Belarusian teachers earn half as much. Lithuanians are striking because of 430 euro while our teachers work for 300 USD.
The deputy headmaster of Minsk school #130 Larysa Marfin told how much her colleagues earned:
Larysa Marfіn: An experienced teacher working for a 1.5 salary for 25 years can get 580-600 thousand rubles. A young specialist who has just graduated earns about 300 or 350 thousands.
The Lithuanian government promised to raise teachers’ salary in September but it did not happen. Now they demand to increase their salary by 20% and then by 30% after the New Year’s Day. Nina Valkonene says that the protest does not affect pupils much.
Nina Valkonene: We are on a two-hour preliminary strike: we do not work from 8 till 10 a.m. There are no problems with pupils: we have made announcements and every form-master told pupils not to come to school till 10 a.m. We have also informed their parents.
A teacher of ethics of Adzhalinas School of Tsyalshei Nyakrashus Antanas supports his colleague: they are not satisfied with such a salary. They think that young specialists are the most unprotected – they only earn 235 euro. Nyakrashus Antanas calls it a funny sum of money.
Nyakrashus Antanas: Who can survive with this money? It is impossible to earn so little for a young specialist! The same problem is with pensioners: a teacher worked at school for 40 years and retired. Now she gets 700 litas. It is simply disgraceful. Now we are striking calmly but we will act more resolutely later.
While Lithuanian young specialists do not know how to survive with 235 euro, Belarusians are surviving with 100-150 dollars.
A young specialist, mathematics and informatics teacher of Pastavy School (Staradarozhski District) Yuliya Kastahruz says that she could not come to her senses when she got her first payment – 138 thousands for almost a month. Now she is getting 345 thousands per month.
Yulya Kastahryz: I immediately called to the accounts department and they informed me that I would be getting 240 thousands if I worked for 18 hours per week. Nobody is helping me so I asked for 27 hours, the position of form-master and anything else I could do. Now I am getting 345 thousands. I work day and night to earn this money. Moreover, I work in a rural area and I have not received any money for this although they keep promising.
It turns out that the most experienced Belarusian teachers get as much as Lithuanian young specialists.
Photo by — newsru.co.il
