Teachers’ strike: salary reduction goes beyond the limit of fiscal responsibility, says secretary

State employees have been on strike since Tuesday morning (23) (Photo: Juan Todescatt, NSC TV)

The Secretary of Administration of Santa Catarina, Vânio Boing, stated in a press conference this Tuesday afternoon (23) that the decompression of the salary table, the main demand of the teaching profession, would cause an increase of R$4.5 billion in the payroll of State. State school teachers declared a strike this Tuesday morning.

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— This is unbearable under the fiscal responsibility law, given that we are already at the limit — said the secretary.

Unpacking is one of the main agendas of the Union of Education Workers in the State’s Public Education Network (SINTE/SC). According to the union, around 30% of the state’s teaching profession joined the strike, which began this Tuesday.

The State does not talk about numbers, firstly because most of the employees work in high school, where classes are held at night, and also because, according to the secretary, “we hope this ends tomorrow [quarta-feira (24)]”.

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At the press conference, the secretary presented the payroll numbers. Education employees represent 51% of the workforce, and, according to the secretary, from 2018 to 2023 the payroll increased by 65%. In total, the State pays employees in all departments around R$19 billion, around half of the total revenue.

Santa Catarina teachers go on strike this Tuesday

Still according to Boing, “Santa Catarina pays well”. The State has the highest payments among the three Southern states. The proposal now is to form a study group to analyze a review of the State’s remuneration policy.

Another agenda of the strike is the holding of a new public competition. Boing states that by the end of the year the State government should hold a competition for 10 thousand vacancies. The notice must be published by June. These new employees are already part of the State’s new pension system.

— The State has been meeting all demands — says the secretary. — There is no reason for this strike.

What does the union ask for?

According to Sinte/SC, the union that represents the category, the agendas defended by the class and that drive the strike are the readjustment of the National Floor in the salary table, with unzipping the table; announcement and implementation of the public competition for teaching; application of working hours for all education workers and total repeal of the 14% discount applied to retirees’ payrolls.

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— We want concrete proposals for the category. It is essential that the Government of Santa Catarina negotiates with education workers, we cannot wait any longer — said the president of Sinte/SCEvandro Accadrolli, in a note released by the union on Monday (22).