Covid-19: several unions call for a strike in schools, colleges and high schools on January 20

The anger has not subsided. After the national strike within the National Education on Thursday, January 13, the education unions wish to continue the movement. Like the secretary general of the SNES-FSU, Sophie Vénétitay, who called on Sunday for a new day of mobilization on Thursday January 20 at the microphone of Europe 1. Among the reasons for her dissatisfaction: the cumbersome health protocols.

Monday morning, several unions called for a strike for this Thursday, January 20, in schools, colleges and high schools. The Snuipp-FSU, a union of the first degree, called on its side for a “day of action” January 20 – with or without a strike depending on the territory – then a one-day strike on January 27.

To deal with the health crisis and respond to the exasperation of the teaching world, the government had promised 8,000 people called as reinforcements in schools, at least until the end of the year. The Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer announced Thursday the provision of “5 million FFP2 masks for kindergarten teachers on request. “We will start deliveries from next week”, he said on Friday.

Answers which are not sufficient according to the unions. While the presidential election takes place in a few months, the unions also want to take advantage of the visibility of the problems in the school world to make their voices heard. “We feel that things have changed, greeted at the microphone of Europe 1 Sophie Venetita. That, finally, we talked about National Education, we talked about the sanitary conditions in which we work. But if everyone was well aware that there was a National Education subject, there was perhaps even a Blanquer subject. We have to go further and we have to be able to work in a safe environment for students and adults.”

“The announcements made by the Prime Minister and the Minister do not meet the demands”, estimates Sud Éducation 69 in the media Lyon Capitale. He calls for immediate recruitment (and not on an additional list), more FFP2 and surgical masks and the immediate postponement of the baccalaureate specialty tests.

Same story in Seine-Saint-Denis where the Unitary Trade Union Federation (FSU) denounces in particular government inaction and the lack of concrete measures. “The promises are largely insufficient, a few masks per teacher, possibly postponements of CP evaluations or postponements of the March baccalaureate exams. Promises to recruit contract workers which we already know will not be honored because we know that today the rectorates are unable to recruit”, explains at the microphone of France Bleu Karim Bacha, dissatisfied with the measures announced after the massive strike of January 13th.

For the FSU, the priorities are as follows: investment in CO2 sensors, the creation of jobs, teachers, nurses, social workers and salary increases. In the viewfinder of the unions, Jean-Michel Blanquer, some of whom are calling for the resignation.