"We still can't take stock of the impact of today's strike, but we are aware of several problems," said the STOP representative, André Pestana, on the fifth day of the strike of teachers and non-teaching staff, which began last Tuesday and will continue until Wednesday.

Speaking to Lusa, André Pestana explained that "there is a blockage of information by the directors of several schools, who do not notify parents about the strike, and there was at least one school that replaced employees who were on strike."

The school in question is located in the Lisbon area and the workers are operational assistants, he added.

André Pestana was today in front of a teaching establishment in Coimbra, Escola 1 da Conchada, where there was also a protest by parents and guardians due to the lack of conditions: “The classrooms are very small and there is a lack of material to work with, such as projectors”, he said.

STOP says it is solidary with the lack of conditions in schools to work, but points out other reasons for the strike that ends on Wednesday, such as the effects of municipalisation.

The transfer of non-teaching staff to local authorities will mean the "dismissal of workers, who were about to join the staff", said André Pestana.

The precariousness of thousands of teachers who remain under a contract regime for more than a decade, the assessment with quotas and the retirement age are other reasons for the protest presented by the union.

Regarding retirement, STOP defends that there should be a special regime "without penalty from 60 years of age and the right to a dignified pre-retirement".

STOP also demands that transport and accommodation subsidies be granted to teachers placed far from their place of residence and that the "misery wages" of operational assistants be increased.