It was signed at dawn on April 24 theagreement between trade unions most representative of the education and research sector and the government. During the hours of negotiation at Palazzo Chigi at the meeting with FLC CGIL, Cisl FSUR, UIL Scuola RUA Federation, SNALS Confsal, Gilda-Unams, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Education Minister Marco Bussetti were also present, together with Undersecretary Salvatore Giuliano .
The reaching of an agreement between the parties has in fact determined the suspension of the general strike of the school proclaimed for next 17 May.
The government has undertaken to allocate more resources for the three-year period 2019-2021 to recover the loss of purchasing power of salaries in the entire education sector. Within the three-year term of the contract, additional resources will be found for school staff to gradually align salaries to the average of those of other European countries, in addition to the 1,7 billion euros allocated for the entire public sector by the 2019 budget.
Among the points on which an agreement was found there is also the need to start the meetings as soon as possible to reach the definition of a new employment contract, since the previous one expired on December 31st.
As regards the fight against precariousness, the agreement provides that they will be called competitions for teachers on a regular basis and simplified procedures for the entry into the role of teaching staff who have gained previous service experience of at least 36 months. According to Repubblica reports, with over 136 substitute teachers in Italian classrooms and the danger that by October the number will reach 150, that of precarious school workers is one of the major problems in the education sector. This is why government intervention is needed to counteract the phenomenon. The government is ready to launch two public tenders: one with 16.959 places, already defined and destined for kindergarten and primary school; and a second competition for about 50 places to be assigned over three years, still awaiting the preparatory documents - which according to Bussetti will arrive by July - and aimed at middle and high school.
For school principals, whose role and responsibilities are fully recognized in the agreement, an agreement was reached regarding the activation of a specific table that addresses the main critical issues reported on the occasion of the strike call.
“Aware of having to invest more in school, even in a public finance framework that unfortunately places constraints on us the government has undertaken to identify the resources necessary for the renewal of the contracts, ensuring a reasonable increase in salaries. Teachers' salaries must be adequate for the responsibility they hold, ”explained Conte at the end of the discussion with the school unions.
On the front ofdifferentiated autonomy, strongly opposed by the school unions, these obtained the most significant victory which effectively emptied the autonomy project in the management of school personnel in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. "After the trade union organizations reaffirmed the themes and objectives underlying the call for the strike, a text of possible agreement was reached which moves from a clear and shared consideration of the role assigned to the school, also through the unity of the state of personnel, the national value of contracts, a national personnel recruitment system and the rules for the governance of autonomous schools", reads the joint official note signed by the trade union organizations, which are satisfied with the willingness and openness shown by the government .
On the university and research front, the government and trade unions share the need to relaunch knowledge sectors such as growth opportunities for the country's development. Therefore, the agreement provides for the government's commitment for universities and research to promote regulatory intervention to allow greater flexibility in the use and determination of ancillary salary funds, as stated in the note from the unions. Government actions have also been envisaged aimed at completing the process of stabilizing precarious personnel in research institutions, a stabilization plan for personnel carrying out research and teaching activities, as well as technical and administrative assistance within universities.
Lo strike of 17 May 2019 has been suspended, while the activities of collecting signatures will continue in contrast to the regionalization projects of the education system.
