The government and the education unions had not yet reached an agreement on a new salary structure for education workers on Thursday, September 24. Talks will continue on Friday, September 25, at 4 p.m. Time is becoming pressing, as schools reopen on October 1.
Among those taking part in the consultations were FOLS, the Bond van Leraren (BvL), the Alliantie voor Leerkrachten in Suriname (ALS), DoHOS, the Syndicaat voor Onderwijsgevenden in Suriname and the Vereniging van Wetenschappelijk Personeel van de Universiteit van Suriname (VWPU).
Representing the government were, among others, Minister Marinus Bee of Binnenlandse Zaken, Minister Dirk Currie of Onderwijs, Wetenschap en Cultuur, the director of Financiën, representatives of the Presidentiële Werkgroep Vakbonden and the Onderhandelingsorgaan van de Overheid. Members of the management and staff of the Ministry of Education also took part in the discussions.
Proposals further elaborated
During the working session, the education unions’ proposals for a new salary structure were substantively discussed. The parties also examined models that could serve as a basis for the further negotiation process.
The government also put forward a proposal during the consultations. According to the parties involved, that proposal should be seen as a precursor to further salary negotiations, which will continue in working groups with the entire trade union movement.
The consultations were suspended several times. During these breaks, the government proposal was further elaborated and refined in consultation with the education organisations present. However, no final agreement was reached on the new salary structure.
No new salary scale yet
The education unions stress that the government proposal discussed cannot yet be regarded as the new salary scale for education workers. According to them, it is solely a preliminary step ahead of further negotiations on the final salary structure.
The education organisations are seeking an agreement that is acceptable to their members. The unions had previously stated that they wanted clarity on the new salary structure by October 1 at the latest. The education unions’ proposal was presented to the government on September 14.
With the planned school reopening on October 1 approaching, pressure is increasing on both parties to reach agreement on the remuneration and other employment conditions of education workers.
