The education union members are pleased with the budget increase

Teachers receive good news from the union. Next year brings salary increases. The Education budget will increase by 6 billion lei in 2024 based on agreements with the government, money that will be used to raise salaries in the education system by 20%, in two installments, said Simion Hăncescu, the president of the Free Trade Unions Federation in Education (FSLI). He participated in discussions with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and ministers on the topic of education salaries at the Victoria Palace, alongside other education union leaders. According to Hăncescu: "Following today's discussions, it was agreed that the Ministry of Education's budget will increase by 6 billion lei in 2024, which allows us to address the issue of a 20% salary increase in 2024, in two installments, on January 1 and June 1. We can't tell you the exact percentages yet; we'll calculate them in the coming days to see the results, but it will certainly be a more substantial percentage in January. (...) Our goal is to eventually reach the salary level we desire in education. We are on track now, with what will happen next year, and in 2025, we will have an increase beyond what was forecast during the strike." He clarified that, according to Government Emergency Ordinance 57/2023, the increase for rookie teachers should be 13%: "It's written in black and white. Additionally, we propose an increase of, mathematically, 7%, but it's possible, I repeat, that other percentages may apply. In practice, I remind you, during the strike, our demand was for a 60% increase in salaries. We have a 30% increase from June 1 compared to May 31. In practice, with the additional 20%, we reach 50%. The conditions are created to exceed what we promised during the strike, namely a 70% increase by 2025. We are on track." In the same context, the president of the "Spiru Haret" Trade Unions Federation, Marius Nistor, explained that the salary grid for the education sector will be made public when the new salary law for the public sector appears: "Currently, we are talking about part of what we should receive, in accordance with Ordinance 57. I remind you, what I said during the labor dispute triggered in May, that the government unequivocally stated that 6 billion lei would be allocated for salary increases in the education system in 2024. Currently, we are talking about increasing the envelope, and this will be very clear when the 2024 budget project is released, the envelope increase for the payment with 6 billion. We must also consider some things that were not resolved by Ordinance 57, we are talking about increasing leadership allowances, salaries for leadership positions, directors, deputy directors, inspectors, chief secretaries, chief accountants. Their salaries will increase, certainly, because they need to have a differentiated increase compared to the executive staff." He emphasized that in 2024, the salary increase in education is "even more than what we initially discussed." Anton Hadăr, leader of the "Alma Mater" National Trade Union Federation, stated that higher education is also included in the agreed salary envelope with the government: "The same procedure will apply; we will work on these grids starting tomorrow morning, we will work on them with the Ministry of Education. There will be an average increase of 20%, I want to emphasize this aspect because constant sums were given to everyone in the summer. 1,300 lei was given at the base, and practically now, some will receive more than 13%, in a first stage or less than 13%, or over 20% or less than 20%, according to the salary in that grid we reported to, which we submitted in June this year. We made the grid with the Ministry of Education, we reported to it, but a perfect match cannot emerge from these salary increases because, as I said, by giving a constant amount, we will not have a constant, the same percentage increase for everyone. (...) There will be no spectacular differences between education employees. I hope people will be satisfied, even in "Alma Mater,' because, after all, 20%, admittedly, from mid-summer, will be satisfying for many." Higher salaries also require an improvement in the quality of education.