“Politics, threatening and blackmailing us”, say Albanian university lecturers on strike

02/11/2022 21:11

The teachers’ union said today that it is waiting to start of the hunger strike for their demands of the increase in salary and quality of education.

In a statement to the media, they asked for g’uarantees for their life’ from the international entities and state institutions.

“If we receive an answer, we are 30 lecturers who will go on hunger strike. Unable to receive an answer from the government, the Union addresses the president and law enforcement institutions to guarantee the lives of the teachers who will go on hunger strike and their family members. We are here for the protection of education and human values. We strongly believe that it is an issue that belongs to everyone”, said the head of the Trade Union, Aleksandër Kovaci.

While the decision has not yet been made whether the lecturers will go on hunger strike or not, Kovaçi says that his colleagues are being blackmailed and threatened in order to give up the initiative.

“Higher education as a public good must be supported by everyone. The head of the government is appearing in the media with arrogance and a language unworthy of a country that aspires to the EU. This proves how deeply politics has infiltrated education. It is this violent coercion of politics that is intimidating, threatening, blackmailing our colleagues as they are taking the sublime step of hunger strike.”

16:00 hours on Wednesday was the deadline set by the union of Albanian university employees to the government to meet their demands, which consist of increasing salaries and improving research conditions.

The boycott by the union has been partial overall as not all teachers have joined. Some stayed outside the faculties, while the rest continued with their classes.

FOTO GALERI
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