School workers' union plans protest tour across country

Prague, Aug 30 (CTK) - The Czech school workers' union is planning a tour across the country at the beginning of the school year in protest against the state underfinancing schools, the union's deputy chairwoman Marketa Vondrackova has told CTK.

The union will seek support for its protest petition in all regional towns where its members will meet people to discuss the gloomy situation in the educational sector, Vondrackova said.

On the first school day, September 3, the union will present its petition outside the Education Ministry in Prague.

"The government set education as its priority," Vondrackova recalled.

Teachers were promised extra four billion crowns for their wages this year, but as a result of the ministries' additional saving they have been given only two billion, Vondrackova said.

The union also minds the declining sum the state earmarks for school aids.

As from 2012, the Education Ministry abolished the 800-crown subsidy to schools designed to buy aids for first grade pupils.

In 2001, the state spent 1.6 billion crowns on school aids, compared with 600 million last year.

The "Tour for the salvation of education, schools and culture," scheduled for September and October, will include public discussions and concerts.

The event has been supported by unions of workers in culture, the Actors' Association, the Pro-Alt group and the For Free Universities group.

The union wants to highlight the situation in the school sector during the cabinet and parliament's debate on the draft 2013 budget bill.