Education professionals plead for a new meeting with representatives of the Government of Amazonas

Gabriel Abreu – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The strike of education professionals in the Amazon entered, on Wednesday, 24, the eighth day. According to the Union of Education Workers of the State of Amazonas (Sinteam), 52 municipalities, of the 62 of the Amazon, are paralyzed with classes, in the capital 70% of professionals crossed their arms. On Wednesday, they went, once again, to the Legislative Assembly of Amazonas (Aleam) to plead for a new round of negotiations with the State Government.

The teachers are demanding a 25% salary increase, payment of the base date for the years 2022 and 2023, in addition to retroactive 2020 and 2021, as well as a health plan for retired professionals. The protest in front of the Legislative House occurs one day after the State manifested itself, in a note, informing that the professionals involved in the movement will have the days not worked discounted, as assured by the labor law and the Justice of the Amazon.

A meeting between professionals and state representatives was scheduled for Thursday, 25, but because of the category’s refusal not to return to the classrooms, the meeting was canceled. To try to get this meeting back, the representatives were with the government leader in the House, state deputy Felipe Souza (Patriot), and the deputy Cabo Maciel (PL) so that they can mediate the meeting.

“Now, we managed to have the category received, again, by representatives of the state. I will emphasize, again, the attempt to rescue the meeting that would take place tomorrow, in which the State Government conditioned the suspension of the strike, but the category did not accept in assembly. Therefore, we will wait, but the category continues to strike”, said the president of Sinteam, Ana Cristina Rodrigues.

Last week, the state government offered an 8% salary adjustment, but the workers rejected it. During the general assembly held on Monday, 22, teachers decided to maintain the strike.

In the interior of the state, the representative of the category informed that 52 municipalities have joined the movement that asks for better working and salary conditions. “There are 52 municipalities. We have 52 minutes. They are 52 frequencies that are signed by the workers saying that they do not accept the imposition of the government and that they want, in fact, to negotiate and that they will continue the movement according to the assembly made in the capital and in the countryside that maintains the position and does not “give in” when asking for a 25% increase”, explained Rodrigues.

The state deputy Felipe Souza (Patriot) said he will meet on Wednesday, 24, with the secretary of government, Sergio Litaiff, so that the meeting of Thursday, 25, is maintained, since it will have the participation of representatives of the Secretariat of Administration, Finance and Civil House.

“As there was no understanding, we had a meeting here in the cabinet, together with representatives of the unions. Me and Representative Cabo Maciel, we will mediate with the State Government, to see if we can reopen these negotiations, so that we can end this strike”, listed the parliamentarian.

Suspension

The judge Domingos Jorge Chalub Pereira, the Court of Amazonas (TJAM), had determined the suspension of the indicative strike of teachers of the state education network. The decision was issued on the afternoon of Monday, 15, on an emergency basis, after Public Civil Action filed by the State of Amazonas.

In ruling, the magistrate noted that the assembly promoted by Sinteam “seems to lack legitimacy”, quality necessary to have the legality recognized. This is because, as reported in the decision, only 2 thousand people, from a total of about 30 thousand members, attended the meeting that approved the strike on 11.

Positioning

In a note, the Government of the Amazon said that after the refusal of the Union of Education Workers of the State of Amazonas (Sinteam), in ending the strike started on the 16th, action considered illegal by the Justice of the Amazon, with daily fine in the amount of R $ 30 thousand, and that has harmed thousands of students, will only resume the round of negotiations with representatives of the category when teachers return to classrooms.

In the last day 18, at a meeting between the Government of Amazonas, the category union and members of the Legislative Assembly, the State signaled the immediate adjustment of 8% of the base-date, withdrawal of absences of education workers for the days of strike, study for payment of progressions by tenure and length of service and negotiation regarding the end of the Public Action, with the Court of Justice of the Amazon, which prohibited the strike movement, with the counterpart that the classes were resumed immediately.

The State Government reinforces that while the illegal stoppage continues, professionals involved in the movement will have the days not worked discounted, as guaranteed by labor law and Justice Amazon.