Biggest teachers' strike in Polish history

Teachers at Polish schools earn an average of 700 euros per month - too little to get by on, many complain. The government has rejected a pay hike and proposed increasing their working hours instead so that they earn more. The teachers' unions have rejected the proposal and called for the biggest teachers' strike in Polish history today. Not all media show their support.

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Rzeczpospolita (PL) /

Teachers being cast as the bad guys

The government wants to give teachers the blame, Rzeczpospolita criticises:

“The proposal for a 24-hour workload in classrooms (instead of the current 18) means that the work currently carried out by four teachers will be done by three in the future. ... No union can agree to such a solution. ... At this stage emotions are running high over the question of who's to blame for the fact that most children won't be able to go to school on April 8. With its proposals the government wants most people to believe that the teachers are responsible. With every day of strike the frustration of parents who have to take care of their children grows. If this frustration is turned against the teachers, the strike will be counterproductive for them. And that's just what the government is counting on.”

wPolityce.pl (PL) /

Costly lesson in political education

The strike on Monday will harm the public interest, wPolityce.pl criticises:

“It's worth noting that the spectacular and often virulent protests of the 'yellow vests' in France take place on Saturdays so they don't hurt the economy! On Monday the French go to work, regardless of their views and conflicts and despite several months of protests and widespread discontent. In that way they respect the common good. Poland, it seems, can afford costly protests because the Poles are very rich compared to the poor French. ... But at least the strike can serve as a good lesson in political education, this time not in schools but at home.”