Teacher Related

On Friday, teachers in Portugal started an indefinite strike to protest poor working conditions and “policies that have destroyed” the country’s public school system.

Portuguese news agency Lusa quoted Andre Pestana, head of the teachers’ organization STOP, as saying that some schools may have to shut or cancel sessions.

As the sole union supporting the strike, STOP represents the school’s 3,000 faculty members.

Despite his inability to provide an exact number of teachers who have joined the walkout, he did note that there has been “a high level of adherence.”

Schools in Portugal have reportedly informed parents via text message that they are experiencing difficulties running as usual, as reported by Diario de Noticias, a Portuguese newspaper.

Some striking teachers visited with parents at schools, distributing informational leaflets about the strike.

The teachers want many changes, such as a more open process for hiring, better working conditions, and more pay.

They expect a pay raise that keeps pace with inflation. Teachers’ buying power has dropped by 20% since 2009, according to Pestana.

STOP claims that this kind of nationwide strike has never happened before in the country.

The majority of the country’s educators took part in a one-day strike and protest on November 2 over funding for schools in the 2023 budget.