Teachers march to demand better pay

LISBON — Tens of thousands of public school teachers and other staff members marched in Lisbon on Saturday to demand higher wages and better working conditions, putting further pressure on the Portuguese government as it grapples with a cost of living crisis.

Shouting slogans such as "For the banks there are millions, for us there are only pennies", about 80,000 protesters filled the Portuguese capital, police said.

A year after Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa won a majority in parliament, he is facing a slump in popularity and street protests not just by teachers, but also by other professionals such as doctors.

The Union of All Education Professionals, known as STOP, is demanding that the government increase the wages of teachers and school workers by at least 120 euros ($130) a month and speed up career progression.

The government has not made a counterproposal specifically for teachers, but has said it will increase the monthly salaries of all public servants who earn up to about 2,600 euros by 52 euros.

Teachers complain that because of career freezes in the past, they are the lowest-paid senior public servants, which means their financial situation has worsened after a recent spike in inflation to a 30-year high.

Teachers on the lowest pay scale are paid around 1,100 euros a month, and even those in the top band typically are paid less than 2,000 euros monthly.

"For years, they (politicians) kept us silent," said Isabel Pessoa, a 47-year-old teacher. "We need better conditions in terms of salary. It's unacceptable that we don't have progression in our careers."

Teachers and other education staff members across the country have been taking strike action since early last month, closing many schools and leaving students unable to attend classes. The strikes have been organized on an area-by-area basis with successive days of action in each of Portugal's 18 districts.

Agencies Via Xinhua