Call for boycotting the beginning of the school year. Two trade union federations denounces the increase in the norm of teaching and the decrease of the revenues of the teachers

Two of the main trade union federations-FSLI and “Spiru Haret”-announced on Wednesday that they have triggered a referendum because, on September 8, starting at 9:00, in all the educational units where there are union members of the two organizations to boycott the beginning of the school year 2025-2026.

In a call addressed to employees in the pre-university education system, the Federation of Free Education Unions (FSLI) and the Federation of Education Unions “Spiru Haret”, the reasons for the protest also explained:

• “Increasing the teaching norm by 2-4 hours-which means more work for the same salary;
• The merging of hundreds of educational units – having as effect of reducing teaching, auxiliary and administrative teaching staff;
• Increasing the herds of preschoolers/students in the group/class – a measure that affects the quality of the educational act and leads (by combining the classes/groups) to the disappearance of norms/teaching stations;
• The reduction by over 50% of the tariff used for remuneration of the activity performed in the “payment by time” regime-the income of the teachers is substantially diminished;
• Increasing the obligation of chair for directors and inspectors – which is equivalent to the practical and objective impossibility of the activity by the management, guidance and control personnel;
• Elimination of food and holiday vouchers for education staff with salaries over 6,000 lei net.“

“We must also take into account the fact that it is preparing to eliminate the degree in the education system, a measure that will hit in all the teachers from pre -school, primary, secondary and high school,” say the leaders of the two trade union organizations.

What FSLI also requests “Spiru Haret” to their union members and to all education employees to do on September 8:

• “not to participate in the official opening festivities of the 2025-2026 school year;
• not to carry out any activities specific to the beginning of the school year: not to organize meetings with the parents; not to attend the meetings organized by the educational unit; not to lift/divide the textbooks; not to carry out activities with the students/preschoolers, etc.;
• to carry distinctive marks on protest (banners, badges, etc.);
• to participate in the protest actions organized by our federations in Bucharest or, as the case may be, those organized by the affiliated unions in the county residence municipalities.“

“We address, in this way, the request for parents and students to be solidarity with our actions and not to participate in the expected activities to be carried out on September 8, 2025 at the level of the educational units. (…) On September 8, 2025, we go out for the education of education – a protest of dignity and of the Romanian school.

They also argue that these days, by Law no. 141/2025, the education “is severely affected by measures that bring major damage to the education system, undermining the work of the teachers, the future of the children and the trust of the parents”.

Protests up to at least on September 8

On Tuesday, the Trade Union Federations rejected the statements of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, according to which in recent years the teaching norm would have decreased.

The unions announced the continuation of protest actions through pickets in front of the Ministry of Education and rallies in Victoriei Square.

On September 8, a protest march is to be held on the route Victoriei – Cotroceni Palace, between 11:00 and 16:00.

“The Federation of Free Trade Unions, the Federation of Education Unions 'Spiru Haret' and the National Trade Union Federation 'Alma Mater' firmly condemns the statements of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, according to which teaching norm would have decreased in recent years. The Romanian education system, either its launch in the public space was made special, for a manipulative purpose, even if the truth is known ”, the three unions said, in a press release, according to Agerpres.

The trade union federations also claim that, in recent decades, the teaching norm has been constant and has become among the “biggest” in the EU, given that the work of teachers in Romania is “much more complex” than the teachers in most Member States, where wages are “much higher”.

“In addition, the requirements and pressures on teachers have increased constantly, against the background of continuous” reforms “(but without any purpose) and a financing below the minimum European standards. Before making such a disqualifying statement for a dignitary of such a rank, may Such an indolence, thus being widowed by a consistent amount a domain with so many needs, such as the educational system ”, the unions said.

According to them, Ilie Bolojan would intend, through the statements made, to justify, “falsely”, the measures of austerity 'taken without any consultation and without impact studies'.

Federations mentioned that teachers' work is not limited to teaching hours.

“The correction of the works, the preparation of the hours, the evaluation of the students, the counseling hours and the extracurricular activities are a vital component of the work norm and are, most of the times, unregulated and unpaid properly. On a correct understanding of the needs in the education system ”, said the trade unionists, in the statement.

The unions also claim that the government would have the “masked mission to bankrupt” the state education.

“We point out that, in the next five years, tens of thousands of teachers will reach the retirement age, and qualified substitute teachers would have to fill this goal. But once they eliminate this year, they will migrate to other fields and will not return to education,” the quoted statement said.

Between August 19 and 22 and August 25 – 29, as well as on September 3, starting at 10:00, the three educational federations will organize protest pickets at the Ministry of Education and Research.

Between September 3 and 5, between 12:00 and 13:00, there will be protest rallies in Victoriei Square.