More than five thousand teachers occupied this Saturday afternoon, March 4th, the Avenida dos Aliados, in Porto, protesting against the government proposals for a new recruitment and placement regime and the lack of openness to negotiate long-standing demands
Author: Rui Manuel Farinha | Credits: LUSA
"There are thousands of teachers. When the front of the demonstration reached the Aliados, the tail was still in the Marquês. I believe there are more than five thousand in the protest," said to Lusa a PSP agent who controlled traffic on Avenida dos Aliados at 17:00.
With drums, whistles, posters, loudspeakers and microphones, thousands of teachers from various parts of the country - Braga, Bragança, Viana do Castelo, Coimbra, Aveiro, Maia, Matosinhos, Porto, among other localities - flocked to Aliados around 5 pm, after parading through several streets of Porto, from the Marques Square.
"Government Listens, Teachers are fighting", "Teachers united, they will never be defeated", "Meetings are not enough, we need solutions", "National competition, for professional graduation", "Teachers demand respect", were some of the phrases shouted by teachers.
Anabela Ferreira, 1st cycle teacher, left Viana do Castelo at 1pm this Saturday to participate in the protest in Porto.
Speaking to Lusa, Anabela Ferreira said that the fight "is to continue until the laws change."
"Even if we have to fight until 2024. We do not give up," said the teacher, in front of the Porto City Hall, in Aliados. "Respect" was the slogan of teachers moved and tired with the "lack of appreciation of the profession," points Paula Cataluna, a teacher from Braga.
Unions and the Ministry of Education have been negotiating since September to try to reach an agreement on the new model for teacher recruitment and placement.
Last week was the last meeting that ended without agreement, and the unions announced that they will ask for additional meetings.
The new proposal presented this week by the Government did not convince the unions that say they will keep some of the "red lines" that the teachers had already pointed out, such as the creation of Pedagogical Zone Councils.
Teachers have been on strike since December, at the time with an indefinite strike called by the Union of All Educational Professionals (Stop), which remains in protest against the government proposal for competitions and placement of teachers.
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