On the last day of negotiations between the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI) and trade union organizations, it was possible to reach an agreement on the recovery of teachers' service time. However, only seven of the 12 structures accepted it.

According to the ministry supervised by Fernando Alexandre, the agreement was 'closed' with the National Education Federation (FNE), FENEI, SIPE, FEPECI, SPLIU, SNPL, and SIPPEB and "shows the Government's effort to approach the demands" and "concerns of the sector". The National Teachers' Federation (Fenprof) was left out, which was the last union to meet with the minister.

"It is the fulfillment of a promise of this Government in a time that I think was very fast. In about a month, we managed, in an intense negotiation process in which there was, on the part of the Government and the representatives of the teachers, an effort to get closer", stressed Fernando Alexandre.

The FNE also welcomed the agreement, considering that "it was slow, but with purpose". "It was practically 20 years of struggle, in which the flag of not giving up was fulfilled, achieving all our objectives in terms of recovering service time," he stressed.

However, for Fenprof, the text has "aspects" that prevent its signature. "We do not sign it, not because we do not recognize that there are aspects here in which there has been evolution on the part of the Ministry of Education. However, there are aspects that do not allow us to sign this agreement and that, in fact, we do not even understand how anyone can sign it", explained the union's general secretary, Mário Nogueira, referring to the other trade union organizations in the sector that signed the agreement.

For the official, these unions, "by signing the agreement today", lost "the possibility of going further, which is to have a supplementary negotiation".

Fenprof "was never part of the solution", accuses minister

Given Fenprof's refusal, Fernando Alexandre stated that the union "was never part of the solution". "It has its own agenda and I confess that in many discussions, many times, I have doubts that education is its great concern and even the teachers", he accused, considering that the union organization systematically raises obstacles and that this is "one of the reasons why many of the problems drag on".

For Mário Nogueira, the minister's statements represented a "stab in the back" in the supervision and to regain this trust "the minister has to prove that he deserves it".

"This is regrettable, deserves our repudiation and we told the minister that we do not admit it at any time. It is the first negotiation process in which we are with him, he has no right to make such a statement", added the general secretary, who considered the minister's statements as "absolutely execrable".

President of the Republic and unions welcome agreement

In addition to FNE, Francisco Pinto, representing five of the teachers' unions (FENEI, SIPE, FEPECI, SPLIU, and SNPL) that signed, celebrated that "a platform of understanding" had been found with the supervision.

"These unions represented here have finally found the platform of understanding regarding the compensation for service time", he said.

In turn, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, considered that this is a "pacifying" agreement that teachers deserve. "I already knew about this very recent news and I think it is a problem that is an electoral commitment and that the teachers deserve, and it is a peacemaker for the next school year", considered Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

After all, what is at stake?

According to the Government, "the terms of the agreement accelerate the recovery of service time, providing that it occurs at a rate of 25% per year. The reinstatement begins on September 1, 2024, and in 2025, 2026, and 2027 it takes effect on July 1. After 2 years and 10 months, the reinstatement will be completed".

The ministry supervised by Fernando Alexandre also explained that "the agreement recognizes teachers' service time counted through Decree-Law no. 74/2023, the so-called career accelerator, ensuring that there are no situations of duplication of benefits in the recovery of service time".

It was also guaranteed with these unions "access to the 5th and 7th echelons for all teachers who, through the recovery of service time, meet the conditions for progression".

Read Also: Fenprof repudiates statements by the Minister of Education: "Stab in the back" (Portuguese version)