TAll the teachers of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, as well as the administrative and technical staff of schools, are called upon to fold their arms on Tuesday for a day of strike, the first since the installation of the new MR-Engaged majority in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels last July. Several filter pickets are announced in front of different establishments, as well as the distribution of leaflets in several town centers in Wallonia.
Although classes will undoubtedly be disrupted by this strike, remember that schools are required to welcome children into daycare that day. United as a common front, the unions intend to denounce through this action the savings that the new majority will, according to them, impose on education.
Also read
Education: what you need to know about Tuesday’s strike
This is undoubtedly not a coincidence, this strike comes at a time when the FWB parliament will examine the draft budget for 2025. The trade union organizations fear measures which harm the quality but also the accessibility of education, one of the pillars of democracy, they insist.
The unions are particularly concerned about a further deterioration in the working conditions of teachers as well as their status. In focus, the controversial decision of the new MR-Engagés majority to put an end to the status of teachers in favor of permanent contracts.
Economic measures
In addition to this, when analyzing the 2025 draft budget, the sector also fears a reduction in resources for qualifying education. Unions estimate the impact to be at least 500 jobs. They also criticize the budget reduction announced for establishments under Wallonia-Brussels Education (WBE, former French Community), as well as the reduction in allocations to higher establishments to the tune of 6.5 million euros.
Also read
Education: cost-saving measures that set fire to the powder
Another grievance: the non-indexation or even the sometimes reduction of the operating budgets of public organizations such as the institute of continuing professional training for teachers, Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement (WBE), the Academy of Research and Higher Education ( Ares), …
The program decree which accompanies the draft budget for 2025 has thus been qualified as a “declaration of war on teachers” in union ranks. For its part, the government justifies these savings measures by the degraded budgetary situation of the FWB. However, he assures that the “essential missions” of education will not be impacted.
Related News :