Paes tries, on Tuesday, to end the teachers' strike.

Vladimir Platonow
Reporter from Agência Brasil

Rio de Janeiro - Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes has scheduled a meeting for next Tuesday (8) with representatives of the staff and teachers’ councils, with the aim of trying to end the municipal teachers’ strike, which began on August 8. The decision was announced today (5), after a meeting between Paes and members of the school directors’ and parents’ councils, held at the City Palace, in Botafogo, south of the city. The teachers rejected yesterday (4), in a general assembly, returning to classes, after the approval of the new Career and Salary Plan voted on the 1st by the City Council.

“I invited the parents' and directors' council to understand how we can move forward in this process. It's important to hear what they're thinking. We are making the effort. We voted on a Career and Salary Plan that increases remuneration this year, equalizes teachers' salaries, recognizes all career paths, and upholds the rights of retirees and pensioners. We will continue the dialogue,” said Paes.

The mayor countered the criticism of intransigence made by the strikers, who suffered police violence on the day the project was voted on, being hit by rubber bullets and tear gas. “Someone who sits down ten times, makes three signed agreements, with 23 points, that in itself is not intransigence. The main reason we sent the project and voted on it quickly was to meet a request from the State Union of Education Professionals (Sepe). In the first agreement, it was settled that the project would be drafted in 30 days and urgently sent to the City Council. I complied with a request from Sepe,” he explained.

On Monday (7) afternoon teachers and protesters are calling for a protest in downtown Rio, called One million for education, with a gathering at the Candelária Church, heading to Cinelândia, in front of the City Hall.