Some 80% Of Romanian Unionist Teachers Want National Exam Boycott – Union Leader

The leaders of the four federations in education met Thursday at the headquarters of the FSLI, to analyze the results of the referendum organized among unionists regarding the initiation of protest actions and to make a decision regarding these protests.

The meeting was joined by the leaders of the four union federations in education – FSLI, "Alma Mater", FEN and "Spiru Haret" – and representatives in territory.

The percentage of teachers wishing to boycott the national exams remains the same as the one announced by Cornea mid-April. Then, Federation leader Aurel Cornea told MEDIAFAX that union members in 14 out of 41 counties had been polled.

“Over 80% were in favor of boycotting national exams and about 60% support a general strike,” Cornea said.

He added final results of the referendum will be available next week and a decision regarding protests will be made after all four Romanian union federation in the education sector poll union members.

The "Spiru Haret" federation finished polling its members and 80% were in favor of boycotting national exams.

Unionists in education are disgruntled with the outcome of the discussion they had with Romanian President Traian Basescu Tuesday, when he asked them to understand the country is going through an economic crisis and teachers’ wages would be frozen this year.

Unionists called on education minister Ecaterina Andronescu to resign, but she replied by saying that she would resign if such a move would earn the ministry’s budget more money. However, she said, it would be better if she stayed and fought for the education system.

The Romanian government approved this year’s first budget revision over the weekend lowered the expenses of the Education Ministry by RON676 million from an initial RON11.9 billion.