13 September 2020 – Beginning of the new school year

KSSH, as the most organized and represented union in the country is certainly part of the public debate regarding the start of the new school year.

This school year is specific and unique in the history of education for the cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, all our attention and focus today is on 450 thousand students and 30 thousand teachers of the pre-university system, as well as all our attention, support and solidarity supports the beginning of this new school year.

Every one of us imagines in a moment every teacher, every child or every parent in these specific pandemic conditions.

Therefore, KSSH and all its structures in the center and at the base is engaging and contributing, focusing and looking at the issue in terms of working conditions, pay, remuneration, schedule, transportation, collective health prophylaxis in schools with detergent masks, disinfectant, physical distancing, partially on-line teaching, on-line teaching conditions, schools or tutorials. Unpaid wages, non-payment of hardship, overtime hours, collective bargaining completely formal and unenforceable. Unions without a mind, without a mouth and without members, fines against teachers, and signed by the ministry, etc etc.

Therefore, the Confederation of Trade Unions is exercising all its authority as a serious social partner and determining factor in the education sector, toward the Albanian Government and especially MEYS, to urgently sit down with KSSH and dialogue to solve problems and mitigate difficulties created in the education sector not only by the Covid-19 pandemic, but also by the lack of management and leadership skills of leaders in the education sector on an ongoing basis.

It is urgent a roundtable debate, negotiation and signing of a joint memorandum to find new solutions to the old and new problems of this vital sector and determining the future of the nation.

Education leaders must first engage legally to guarantee the rights and freedoms of teaching staff. They must be guided by legality and enforce it more correctly, despite the difficulties created.

Must sign with social partners for new forms and ways of organizing, managing and directing the education sector. The clash and conflict of instructions, decisions with existing laws must end.

Should be sanctioned with a new Collective bargaining how and what will be the working schedule? How will the available time be paid? How will teachers cope with pay and health insurance at work, in the specific conditions created by the Covid-19 pandemic? How will repetitive tuition be paid in the same classroom with different groups of students? How will the available teachers or one-year interns be organized???

How will the health examination be organized and how will the medical assistance be given in the schools where the assistance of the medical staff is lacking??? How will school guards be trained? Will they be paid by the state, or will they continue to be paid in black by the famous school board, etc. Other expected complications in this situation. Since today, teachers have been ordered to show up at school 15 minutes before the start of the lesson, as all Heads of Schools ask “show up at 7:15”, and not us as usual. Teachers must stay at school for 6 hours a day, but due to the effects of the situation created, teachers are required to stay at school for 8 hours!!!

Workplace nutrition is prohibited for protection against Covid-19. Where and how will teachers be treated with food?? Does the government intend to implement its DCM for free lunch 300-500 ALL per working day for teachers???

How will the work be coordinated with the local government for disinfection twice a week, or daily ventilation between class shifts??? Who and how will provide, distribute or use the disinfectant, as most children are small and incapacitated?

Therefore, immediately at the beginning of the school year, KSSH asks the Government and the relevant Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to sit down and agree and provide legal solutions to all these problems.

Otherwise KSSH will react immediately in support and representation of the large army of teachers across the country, using all means of action and union action, including the general strike as the last democratic tool, but necessary to use in such cases.

Once again KSSH wishes all teachers, pupils and parents: “Success at the beginning of the new school year”.