While teachers are on strike Thursday against the proliferation of health protocols linked to the Covid-19 crisis, the Snes-FSU asks “to meet the Prime Minister”, Sophie Vénétitay, secretary general of the National Union of Secondary Teachers, indicated Thursday, January 13 on franceinfo. While the National Education had planned as of yesterday Wednesday that the teachers’ unions will be received tomorrow Friday by the chief of staff of Jean-Michel Blanquer, the minister being traveling to Lyon with Jean Castex.
For the Snes-FSU, the Minister of Education no longer seems to be an interlocutor to manage the health crisis linked to Covid-19. “Given the magnitude of the crisis, it is the Prime Minister who answers us”, she asserted.
>> Follow our live on the teachers’ strike against the health protocol
franceinfo: Do you have an appointment tomorrow at the Ministry of Education?
Sophie Vénétitay: At the moment, we have no information. On the other hand, what I can confirm to you is that, as a trade union organization, we have asked to meet the Prime Minister. We are in such a crisis situation. Today, it seems to us that it is he who must be our interlocutor to get out of this crisis. And that is the request we made this morning.
Matignon should be your contact?
Yes, the crisis is very important. It can be seen in the figures of strikers who still show an anger that is well rooted, which also show a strong rejection of the Minister of National Education. And above all, there are immediate expectations, expectations in terms of method. We really need to manage the crisis that is much more respectful. There are demands to be met as quickly as possible in terms of the protection of adults and pupils.
Jean-Michel Blanquer is no longer a legitimate interlocutor for you?
He has been our interlocutor for two years. Two years that things are completely skidding. And therefore, on the issue of the health crisis, it seems to us, given the scale of the crisis, that it is the Prime Minister who answers us. And then afterwards, we will see for the files that we still have to deal with until the presidential election. Today, there is still an emergency.
The Minister of Education evokes a strike rate of 30%, double the side of the unions. Why such a difference ?
The calculation methods are different. The Ministry of National Education calculates the number of strikers among all the staff of a school, including those who are not in service today, so, technically, they cannot go on strike. There is nevertheless a method of calculation which leads to a reduction in the number of strikers on the part of the Ministry of National Education. Afterwards, the mobilization is very strong. In particular, there are places where the strike is very popular. I am thinking in particular of what is happening in school life. Supervisors are on the front line in the face of Covid-19. It was really fed up with being expressed, an exasperation and the need to have answers as quickly as possible.