Directors with doubts about the operation of minimum services

The National Association of Directors of Groupings and Public Schools (ANDAEP) sent, this Monday afternoon, an email to the Ministry of Education with some doubts raised by school directors about the operation of the minimum services decreed for the strike called by the Union of All Education Professionals (S.TO.P.). One of them, revealed to JN Filinto Lima, concerns the overlapping of strikes.

At issue, as JN reported this Monday, is the fact that the directorates of groupings and non-grouped schools are obliged to choose teachers, senior technicians and employees who cannot go on strike to guarantee minimum services from February 1st, if everyone wants to join the protest. A circular, sent last Friday, by the General Directorate of School Establishments (DGestE) defines that it is up to the directors to “take the necessary measures in terms of service distribution” to ensure the minimums set by the Arbitral Tribunal. Presidents of directors’ national associations lamented that the “burden” of choice rests with them.

“We dispensed this type of increased work very well”, said the president of ANDAEP to JN, revealing that the association he leads sent an email to the Ministry of Education with some doubts about the operation of the minimum services.

Without wanting to advance the doubts in question, Filinto Lima admitted that one of the issues is related to the overlapping of strikes and the fact that the minimum services concern only the strike of the S.TO.P. when other stoppages are in progress. It should be recalled that one of the ongoing strikes was called by a union platform of eight organizations, including Fenprof, and takes place by district. This stoppage is not covered by minimum services.

“There are doubts about the operationalization [dos serviços mínimos] and my association has just sent an email to the minister asking for some clarification because this is a new situation in the national educational panorama. We have some doubts that the directors asked us and we followed them. We are waiting for timely responses. We don’t want to be illegal in any way.”

With regard to negotiations between unions and the Ministry of Education, Filinto Lima asks for common sense and that there are no “taboo issues” on the negotiating table, namely with regard to unfreezing the length of service and evaluating the performance of teachers and directors. He warns, however, that there must be “compromises on both sides”.

“We would like there to be a light at the end of the tunnel and there isn’t. The tunnel is getting longer and longer. People need to sit down, talk to each other and reach a consensus. White smoke is needed and the Government needs to give a signal into the schools,” he said.