Lithuanian teachers stage strike demanding wage increase

Workers of more than 200 Lithuanian schools and pre-school educational institutions started an undetermined strike on Monday demanding wage increase from the government.

Trade unions representing the country's pedagogical workers asked to find an additional 17 million euros (18.7 million U.S. dollars) in this year's budget to finance wage increase for teachers.

However, Algirdas Butkevicius, Lithuania's prime minister, said the government was only able to find an additional 5 million euros at most.

"I was a little bit surprised today by educational trade unions putting forward additional demands," Butkevicius was quoted as saying by ELTA news agency.

The trade unions and the government were negotiating last Friday, however, with no agreement.

"We reached a compromise on all other demands, except this one, concerning 17-18 million euros; we don't accept this demand as we would need to address the parliament in order to implement corresponding amendments to budget law," Butkevicius added.

In his words, problems should be solved by negotiating and finding a compromise rather than walkouts.

According to the data from Lithuania's ministry of education, average full-time teacher's pre-tax monthly salary amounts to 823.4 euros in the Baltic country. However, more than one third of Lithuanian teachers don't work full-time, mostly due to decreasing number of children in classrooms as the country faced serious demographic challenges.

According to the ministry, 233 schools and pre-school institutions participated in a protest strike on Monday. The number represents more than one tenth of all schools in Lithuania. However, more schools consider joining the walkout in the upcoming days, while some of those already participating decided to continue the strike.

The educational trade unions' next round of negotiations with the government is planned on Wednesday. Endit