School trade unions want to keep the right to strike

School trade unionists on Wednesday did not sign a memorandum on a social reconciliation with the Government, in which Prime Minister Robert Fico conditioned salary hikes for teachers in September in return for no further strikes. However, the school trade unions do not intend to give up their constitutional right to strike. The Slovak Teacher Initiative has welcomed the union's decision. According to the Initiative's head, Vladimír Crmoman, the debate regarding adequate hikes in teachers' salaries should be carried out in a way to make teaching jobs more attractive. In reaction to the decision of the union, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Thursday that instead of a salary increase of 26.25% by 2020, there will now be an increase of 6% from 1^stAs for the next years, the government will follow its Program Statement.