School strikes continue

  • 2007-11-09
  • In cooperation with BNS

VILNIUS -- Teachers' strikes continued in southern Lithuaniaon Nov. 9 with lessons being lost in nearly thirty schools and kindergartens inKlaipeda and Mazeikiai.

In Klaipeda, teachers at 15 schools walked out to express their dissatisfactionwith what they call the 'pathetic' state of education in Lithuania. 

The teachers were joined by 13 teachers and kindergarten workers fromMazeikiai district, who boycotted the first two lessons at their establishments.

The series of strikes started in Telsiai on Nov. 6 and it is planned that bythe middle of the month such strikes will have taken place in a total of ninetowns and cities across Lithuania.

Teachers are demanding an immediate 20 percent pay raise, plus another 30percent raise as of Jan. 1, 2008.

Education and Science Minister Roma Zakaitiene said on Tuesday that theirdemands would not be met but salaries will rise by 15 percent on Jan. 1.

According to the Lithuanian statistics office, during the secondquarter of this year, the average monthly teacher's salary in Lithuaniawas 1,793 litas (520 euros) before tax.