Teachers camp out in front of the Assembly.
Around 100 teachers decided to camp in front of the Rio Assembly; the magistrates have been at the site since Wednesday night (11), the same day they decided to maintain the strike; the category is asking for direct negotiation with Governor Sérgio Cabral or with the governor's deputy, Luiz Fernando Pezão.
Rio247 – Amid the failure of negotiations between the Rio government and state school teachers, around 100 teachers decided to camp in front of the State Legislative Assembly (Alerj), in downtown Rio. The teachers have been there since Wednesday night (11), the same day they decided to maintain the strike, after an assembly in Lapa, also in downtown Rio, which reportedly gathered around 10 people. The strike has already lasted more than a month.
The teachers' revolt was reflected in their posters. One of them had slogans like "Education doesn't rhyme with repression." At the time, the Military Police (PM) deployed six patrol cars – two from the Shock Battalion – to provide security in the area. The teachers' main demand is a 16% salary increase, but the State Department of Education (Seeduc) claims it has already increased it by 8%.
In a statement, the teachers' union announced that they will remain camped in front of the Assembly until negotiations take place with the government leader in the House, André Correa (PSC). The meeting is scheduled to begin at 14:30 PM.
It is worth noting that the courts have already ordered the teachers to resume work, under penalty of a R$ 200 fine per day. However, the State Union of Education Professionals (Sepe) has appealed the decision. Even so, the group is requesting a direct meeting with Governor Sérgio Cabral or his deputy, Luiz Fernando Pezão, both from the PMDB party.
On the other hand, the State Education Secretariat (Seec) informed, through a statement, that it will request the Rio de Janeiro State Government to apply the fines. The secretariat also said that the State Attorney General's Office is working to ensure that teachers resume their activities as quickly as possible and justify their absences.