Sileoni criticized teachers due to strike on Monday

February 23, 2013
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The Minister of National Education Alberto Sileoni confessed Friday feeling ‘worried’ by teaching conflict, and criticized the strike called for next Monday.

“Strike is not the only alternative. There may be discussions. We don’t close the negotiation unilaterally, because if it was so we had given the 17 percent increase, which eventually was 22 percent,” the official said.

Four of the five national teachers unions, which are part of the official CGT announced that next Monday classes do not begin in the initial and primary levels, to reject the wage increase granted by the Casa Rosada.

The union has not yet determined whether they will join the strike, CTERA, which has 350,000 members, will meet on Saturday to announce its position.

In peer discussion, teachers demanded a 30 percent increase in basic wages, but the executive emphatically rejected that figure, calling it ‘unfeasible’.

In a radio interview, Sileoni said: “We have worked since early last January, to see if we could reach an agreement.”