The interim union coordinator, Daniel Martins, stated that “it was through the additional effort of an already tired, exhausted, and aging teaching staff that students were ensured their lessons,” a service not compensated in accordance with the law by the Institute for Financial Management of Education (IGeFE).
Speaking to Lusa in Coimbra late this morning, Martins highlighted that between September and December 2024, teachers completed “approximately 14,000 overtime hours” but were underpaid for these hours.
A public service teacher has a weekly schedule of 35 hours, divided into teaching and non-teaching components.
According to the Teaching Career Statute (ECD), for the second and third cycles of basic and secondary education, 22 teaching hours are stipulated, while for preschool and the first cycle it is 25.
Thus, to calculate the value of a teaching hour, the salary should be divided by 22 and 25 hours, respectively, and not by the 35 hours as Daniel Martins claimed the IGeFE is calculating.
The union representative explained that this results in nearly a 35% lower payment for teachers’ overtime hours.
In 2025, teachers may have received half a million euros less due to this discrepancy, which has been ongoing for “three or four years” nationwide, emphasized Daniel Martins.
The union “repeatedly warned the Government about this situation” and, after “more than a year and a half” of attempts with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) and the IGeFE, decided last week to file an administrative legal action.
Martins reinforced that the action “is not a claim,” as “the law stipulates this and the Government is not adhering to it.”
On Monday, the MECI met with teacher-representing unions to present temporary measures for the 2025/2026 academic year to address the teacher shortage problem.
Following the meeting, there was no response from the MECI regarding the payment of additional hours.
