UMS: Salary Increases in Education Unsystematic, Certain Groups Not Affected

Bratislava, February 25 (TASR) - The increase in salaries in the education sector is unsystematic, certain groups of employees are not involved and will once again remain on the tail of interest, the Slovak Towns Union (UMS) told TASR in response to the announced salary increase for teachers and professional staff, adding that the situation with the shortage of non-teaching staff is alarming. According to the union, the solution is to reconsider the overall set-up of education sector financing. "We consider salary increases after the approval of budgets, either state or those of local authorities, to be an unfortunate and unsystematic move," they stressed, adding that the announced method of funding will further polarise education employees or the town community and possibly continue verbal attacks on local authority officials. The reason is that towns won't be able to raise salaries without it coming at the expense of other residents. The UMS pointed out that there's already an alarming situation in certain jobs. "There is a risk that there will be no one to cook or look after our children in the school clubs next school year," said the union, adding that it would welcome the inclusion of school children's clubs or school canteens in the normative funding as this would consolidate funding for one entity and avoid double funding. am/mcs