Protest of trade unionists from Education, expected today in front of the Government / The main reasons for the demonstration

The trade unionists are dissatisfied with the measures adopted by the Government, which, they say, “influence the salary, working conditions, status and dignity of the teaching profession”.

The members of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, the Federation of Trade Unions in Education “Spiru Haret” and the National Trade Union Federation “Alma Mater” will protest on Wednesday, February 4, in front of the Government, reports Agerpres.

According to the representatives of the three unions, approximately 2,000 people are expected to participate in the protest scheduled between 11:30 and 14:00.

“During the duration of the demonstration, banners, placards and audio means will be used, in compliance with the legislation in force”, informed the organizers of the protest.

The announcement made by a union leader

Ion Zoican, representative of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, declared that the austerity measures, if they continue, “are anti-education measures and are not reform measures”.

“We have not given up our protests. We are protesting for the repeal of the austerity measures that he imposed in 2025: the didactic standard, the very large number of students in the class, the merging of classes and the cutting of scholarships for students and students. These measures, if they continue, are anti-education measures and are not reform measures. We demand the repeal of these measures. If they have been applied for a year, let the Government weigh and say how much money saved from these suppressions of education. If not, it is good that the next school year starts as it was with Law 198/2023, a law assumed by the Parliament, the Government and the President of Romania”, said Zoican, quoted by Antena3.

He stated that the losses were significant at the level of education positions.

“Around 15,000 positions have been eliminated, they have been eliminated for hourly payment, where inevitably there are hours that have to be taken by our tenured colleagues and then they are paid at a rate that is below an unqualified day laborer. It is an insignificant payment and it makes our colleagues stop teaching. They have cut the food allowance, holiday vouchers and all kinds of things that have pinched salaries teachers”, said the union leader.

The demands of trade unionists

According to Edupedu, the unions demand the following through this protest:

• “The return to the didactic norm for teachers, professors, directors and inspectors, as it was in the Pre-University Education Law No. 198/2023;
• Returning to the number of students in classes, as it was before the austerity measures;
• Hourly payment is made at the level corresponding to the studies and not at the level of an unqualified worker;
• Scholarship support for pupils and students, as it was in the pre-university education law”.
• The trade unionists claim that these measures led to “the degradation of the quality of the educational act, the real impossibility of working individually with students, the increase of the risk of failure and school dropout, and the disappearance of a significant number of teaching positions as a result of the reduction in the number of classes/groups”.