This situation has occurred in the past and is illegal. There was even a circular from the General Inspectorate of Education stating they cannot do this,” declared Helder Sá, General Secretary of the National Union of State Workers, Local Authorities, and Social Purpose Entities (STMO).
“We have already confirmed at Arneiro Elementary School, in the municipality of Cascais, that there were staff members from the parents’ association taking care of children,” he specified, noting that such situations are more frequent at the elementary education level.
School strike participation is registering “a high turnout” because workers “want better working conditions,” he added, highlighting that a round is being conducted to gather more data, particularly in the areas of Sintra and Lisbon.
The strike involves non-teaching staff and is occurring simultaneously with another stoppage declared for the health sector by another union (STTS).
The strikes are expected to impact various services.
