About 150 Romanian Teachers Picket Education Ministry HQ

Representatives of the teachers, who are affiliated to the Federation of Free Unions in Education, have been invited to talks by Education minister Daniel Funeriu.

Union leader Simion Hancescu, who has joined the teachers in their protest, said picketing will be halted or will continue until 4 p.m. depending on the outcome of talks with the minister.

Teachers from about 50 schools in the two counties have been on strike for the past ten days. The union federation has warned similar problems may appear in other counties too because budgets for the payment of teachers’ salaries will be depleted by October.

Suceava county prefect Sorin Popescu said Friday the Government had supplemented the wage fund for the first quarter of the year by 4.55 million lei (EUR1=RON4.0881) and teachers would get paid.