Education support programme staff to strike on Friday

Workers across all education ministry support programmes – such as educational and technical courses – will strike for 24 hours on Friday, citing the government’s failure to meet commitments and resolve employment issues. In a joint statement, SEK and PEO demanded written responses and practical solutions and warned of another strike – possibly indefinite – and protest outside the presidential palace on November 2 if their demands were not met. The unions said they had postponed planned action on October 5 for a fortnight at the education minister’s request, but no significant progress had been made. They said hundreds of workers have been without income since May, with others losing jobs to permanent teachers working overtime. Their key demands include a summer allowance backdated to June-August 2026, filling fixed-term positions for the 2026-2027 schoolyear and lifting restrictions on additional employment, provided the 48-hour legal limit is adhered to. The unions stated that any escalation of the situation rests with the government, emphasising the workers’ need for employment, a fair income and their rights respected.