It is proposed to increase teachers’ salaries by 10 percent from January and by 21 percent in total next year, Minister of Education, Science and Sport Gintautas Jakštas announced on Friday.
“We have presented an unprecedented proposal, there has never been such an increase in terms of both budget and salary changes in our history – next year teachers’ salaries would increase by 21 percent. The first step would be a 10 percent increase as of January,” Jakštas told reporters on Friday after a meeting with representatives of trade unions.
“The total salary fund, roughly, is increasing by close to a quarter, in total funds, that is more than 300 million for teacher pay raises,” he added.
Andrius Navickas, head of the Lithuanian Education Workers’ Trade Union (LVŽS), said after the meeting that the trade union would evaluate the proposals. According to him, however, the trade union’s decision to call a teachers’ strike on September 29 had been justified.
“We understand that we took a very correct decision to announce the strike, it helps a lot in the negotiations, the negotiations are only gaining momentum,” he said.
The LVŽS is seeking a 56 percent increase in teachers’ salaries as well as a reduction in class sizes and teachers’ workload.
On Tuesday, Jakštas agreed with the trade unions on the reduction of classes from September next year and announced that an analysis of teachers’ workload will be carried out by the end of the year.
The government is committed to bringing teachers’ salaries to 130 percent of the country’s average wage next year.
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