Teachers Struggles Around the World

Croatia has been cutting its spending in order to close its deficit and improve its credit rating as it prepares to enter the European Union. It has been doing this by slashing public services like education and healthcare. In response, teachers and nurses have been striking against government plans to cut their pay. 70% of Croatia’s education workforce took part in a strike last Thursday, according to the Teacher Solidarity website.

In the German state of Saxony, teachers have begun a series of “warning” strikes for “equitable education funding” (also from the Teacher Solidarity website). More than 20,000 people (75% of Saxony’s education workers) took part in a November 16^th strike, with thousands participating in rallies in Leipzig, Dresden and other cities. One of the strikers’ demands is a shorter work week for older teachers to ease their workload and provide more openings for younger teachers, who make up a minority of Saxony’s teaching staff.

Meanwhile, in Hawaii, teachers have been participating in work-to-rule actions every Thursday in an attempt to roll back concessions imposed on them by their governor two years ago (from Labor Notes). The 2011 contract, which expires in 2013, included cuts to their pay and benefits. Their union negotiated a compromise contract, which included performance pay, evaluation reforms and a two-tiered compensation system for new hires. Not surprisingly, the teachers voted this contract down.

The teachers are arriving just before classes start and leaving immediately at the end of classes, temporarily ending after school tutoring, club supervision, lesson planning and grading papers. In lieu of their normal unpaid labor before and after school, the teachers have waving signs to passersby to promote their cause. They are hoping to bring up wages (starting salaries for Hawaiian teachers are only $31,000) and resist pressure to accept performance pay.

As in many states, Hawaiian teachers are barred from striking until after negotiations have resulted in impasse. Rather than waiting until then, when it would be harder to mobilize teachers, as well as public support, they have begun their protests and outreach early. So far, teachers are saying that students and parents are supporting their actions. The key will be to maintain both high participation rates in their actions, as well as public support, until their demands are met.

Greek Teachers Join General Strike

Greek workers have launched a general strike against the austerity measures imposed by the government, the Teacher Solidarity website reported this week. Teachers have joined the strike by both public and private sector workers against the cuts in public services, pay and benefits cuts, and increasing taxes. Schools have been shut down, transportation has been disrupted and health services are operating with emergency crews.

The austerity measures and general strike come in the wake of a bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which occurred a year ago, but which has done nothing to relieve the country of its financial crisis. There is clearly no justification for Greek workers to continue to accept the cuts to their living standards and working conditions as it has done nothing to solve the country’s financial problems. However, their resistance has sent shockwaves through the European Union’s financial sector, as banks and finance capitalists freak out over the possibility that Greece might default on its loans, and inspire Ireland and Portugal to do the same.