Teachers unions clash at meeting

A ROW broke out between teachers’ unions and deputies yesterday during discussions in Parliament over the extension of teachers’ retirement age.

Unions OELMEK, POED and OLTEK walked out of the House Education Committee when they spotted representatives of the newly-formed union, SEDEK, set up by teachers who are in favour of extending the retirement age from 60 to 63.

The unions accused the Committee of inviting them to the discussion without informing them beforehand that SEDEK would be present.

“That’s their right,” said Committee Chairman Nicos Tornaritis of DISY in response to the walk-out.

“Deputies’ aim was to discuss the philosophy of the matter and see where things were,” he added. “We didn’t intend to create new conflicts, but to bring the two sides together.

“Parliament has the right to summon anyone at any time.”

Tornaritis was keen to point out that the matter was by no means over: “We will repeat this meeting and the same people will be invited, except we will also ask the Education Minister to attend.”

DIKO’s Athena Kyriakidou added: “We are legally allowed to follow these proceedings and it is our job to hear all sides.”

In a common announcement yesterday afternoon, OELMEK, OLTEK and POED expressed their “sadness” at the way things turned out at the parliamentary meeting.

“Without wishing to say the Committee had any self-interest in the matter, we believed the educational organisations were trapped, when it was revealed that the Committee intended to listen to persons, who weren’t mentioned in the written invitation, which the House Education Committee directed towards the three teachers; unions.”

Finally the announcement called on the state’s decision-making bodies to “actively show their respect to the democratic decisions of trade unions and their sensitivities”.

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