Francisco Pinto, representative of five of the teachers' unions (FENEI, SIPE, FEPECI, SPLIU and SNPL) that signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education to restore teachers' service time, celebrated on Tuesday that "a platform of understanding" with the tutelage had been found.

"These unions represented here have finally found a platform of understanding regarding the reparation of service time", said the union representative, from FEPECI, at the Ministry of Education, in Lisbon, to journalists.

In this "platform of understanding", "the recovery of this time in four years" was achieved. That is, "25% for each group of four years, starting in September of this year and ending in July 2027".

Francisco Pinto stressed, however, that other "elements" and "wishes" on the part of these unions were left "out".

"The important thing here to retain is that we managed to achieve the objective, which was the recovery of service time. Our struggle is demonstrative that we were right and that we were so right that the political power had to give that time and realize that we were right, since the class has been extremely mistreated", concluded the union representative.

The National Education Federation (FNE) and the Government reached an agreement on Tuesday to recover the service time frozen during the 'Troika', which will be returned over four years.

"We reached an agreement. It was slow, but with a good purpose", said the FNE secretary-general in statements to journalists, at the end of the meeting at the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI).

According to the terms defined between the tutelage and the union federation, the six years, six months and 23 days will be counted over four years: 50% in 2024 and 2025 and the rest between 2026 and 2027. 

"With a duration of two years and 10 months, the entire frozen service time will be recovered", stressed Pedro Barreiros, because the process starts on September 1, 2024 and will be concluded on July 1, 2027. 

In this way, the Government ended up getting closer to the FNE's counterproposal, which began negotiations asking for 30% in 2024, 30% in 2025, 20% in 2026 and the last 20% in 2027, later presenting a new counterproposal that provided for the annual accounting of 25%, as it is now established.

The Government's most recent proposal, presented a week ago, provided for the return of 50% in the first two years, but maintained the five-year period initially proposed, with the accounting of 20% in 2026 and 15% in 2027 and 2028.

On the other hand, the MECI also assured that all teachers affected by the career freeze during the 'Troika' intervention period would be exempt from a vacancy to progress to the 5th and 7th levels, reported the FNE secretary-general.

"Today is a historic day for all teachers who have finally seen one of their great goals achieved", stressed Pedro Barreiros.

Despite the teachers' demands, the Ministry maintained the position that the recovery of service time would only serve for the purposes of career progression, with no compensation mechanisms planned for teachers who are already at the top of their career or who will retire in the meantime.

"However, we do not give up (on this demand) and, if it took 20 years of not giving up to achieve the results we have achieved today, it will certainly not take another 20 to achieve other matters", he said.

After the negotiation process that started less than a month ago, the FNE now wants to discuss other matters with the tutelage, in addition to the recovery of service time for teachers at the top of their career, such as equating to the top of the career of public administration workers and the mobility regime due to illness.

After the meeting with the FNE, which lasted for more than three hours, the MECI had on the agenda the reception, in the afternoon, of FENEI, SIPE, FEPECI, SPLIU, SNPL, ASPL, SIPPEB, SEPLEU, Pró-Ordem and S.TO.P.

The last day of meetings ends with the National Teachers' Federation (Fenprof), with a meeting scheduled for 5:30 pm.

Read Also: FNE and Government reach agreement on recovery of service time (Portuguese version)