REPRESENTATIVES of teachers’ trade unions met President Ivan Gašparovič and Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič on November 12, less than two weeks ahead of an indefinite nationwide strike due to begin on Monday, November 26. However, they failed to make a breakthrough. Teachers are demanding a 10-percent salary increase as of January 2013, the TASR newswire reported.
Union leader Pavel Ondek hinted after the talks that a compromise might be found at a meeting with Finance Minister Peter Kažimír which Gašparovič is supposed to organise the week before the strike begins. Ondek did not want to provide any details on the possible compromise, however. He later specified that the compromise might pertain to a memorandum prepared by the Education Ministry, the SITA newswire wrote.
Meanwhile, Čaplovič said he believes the teachers might settle for a 5-percent pay increase, something the government has already offered.
“In my view, if it is neither zero, nor 10 percent, but in between at 5 percent, it is a compromise,” said the minister, as quoted by TASR.
