European Trade Union Committee for Education

The COVID 19 outbreak is a public health crisis quite different than anything Europe has faced for many years. As education personnel and their trade unions grapple with the outbreak, we are supporting and informing member organisations in any way we can.

• Latest Updates

• New NEU information tool to encourage critical-thinking on COVID-19 vaccines
• Hungarian teachers’ opinion on the reopening of schools
• ZNP successfully pushes for including teachers in the priority group for vaccination in Poland
• ETUCE participates in Finnish Educa online event on education and COVID-19
• Montenegro: news of the impact of the pandemic on education
• Kosovo: SBASHK demands signing of Collective Agreement and recognition of teachers’ daily work
• France: education trade unions prepared to strike for decent salaries and quality learning environments
• COVID-19: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control publishes a new study on COVID transmission in schools
• Malta: MUT orders a strike after the government denies their request for online teaching
• Hungary: ETUCE Member organisation calls for teachers to be among priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination

Yesterday ETUCE expressed solidarity with its member organisation in Kosovo, the Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) and addressed the Kosovar authorities.

Responding to its member organisation’s request, ETUCE asks the Kosovar government officials to sign, without further delay, the final version of the new Collective Agreement, of which the text had been agreed by the Joint Commission. Moreover, ETUCE requests the government to consider an additional monthly payment for teachers and other education personnel of 100 Euros in recognition of their extraordinary efforts in continuously preserving the quality of education during the pandemic, as well as a compensation for the exposure to the risk of COVID-19 in their work, similar to the compensation paid to workers of other essential sectors.

“We call on the Kosovar authorities to meet its commitments and sign the text of the already agreed draft Collective Agreement, as well as to recognise teachers’ and other education personnel’s tireless efforts in upholding quality education in these extraordinary times”, stated Susan Flocken, ETUCE European Director. 

ETUCE continues monitoring closely the situation.