Monday, September 18, in Venezuela, professors and teachers were in the streets to express their fed up with the salaries they receive, while the cost of living is only increasing. With the start of the school year approaching, teachers want to remind people that their salaries have not been increased for exactly 550 days while inflation has reached 140% since the start of the year.
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Before the start of the school year scheduled for October 2, some 300 Venezuelan teachers marched in Caracas on Monday to demand better salaries. “ The Constitution requires the government to review salaries every year. But this government is not going to protect wages because it doesn’t care about workers! », exclaims one of them into the microphone ofAlice Campaignolle for RFI.
These university professors, teachers and other administrative staff earn 4, 5 or 6 dollars per month. “ We have a pittance salary. I have a degree in administrative management, I don’t deserve 4 dollars, I didn’t study for that “, lamented a demonstrator.
Some teachers manage to receive between 25 and 40 dollars per month, plus exceptional bonuses that the government has granted for several years to all civil servants. But these incomes appear paltry compared to the monthly food basket, which is estimated at more than $502 in Venezuela.
It has now been almost 600 days since public sector salaries were reviewed. And with the progressive devaluation of the national currency, these salaries no longer represent almost nothing.
“ This is not possible, a country where the minimum wage does not even allow you to afford a kilo of tomatoes. We demand decent salaries and pensions. And this implies that they are indexed to the dollarexplains José Gregorio Alfonso, university professor. We are here to tell this administration that it is currently pursuing a policy of knowledge destruction ! »
Once again, the return to Venezuela will not take place under the best auspices.
(and with AFP)
