Teachers’ unions Oelmek, Oeltek and Poed will decide next week on a proposal sent to them on Friday by President Nikos Christodoulides over the implementation of an agreement for permanent teaching positions.

The proposal was sent via Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, following their meeting with the president on Thursday afternoon, after they had warned last week with a strike and demanded to see Christodoulides “immediately”.

The teachers, who met again on Friday to discuss the president’s proposal, are asking for the implementation of the agreement reached in November 2023, by which more permanent teaching positions would open, which would also reduce the number of non-permanent staff.

Poed chairwoman Myria Vasiliou said the proposal “confirms in writing that, since the government will not be submitting a complementary budget for 2025, the agreement cannot be implemented at this time.”

Teachers’ unions Oelmek, Oeltek and Poed met President Christodoulides and Education Minister Athena Michaelidou at the presidential palace on Thursday

Chairman of Oelmek, Demetris Taliadoros, said the president realised that not submitting a complementary budget led to some injustices.

“This proposal to an extent restores the injustices that would emerge,” Taliadoros said.

Now each union will convene its board to reach a final decision.

Both Vasiliou and Taliadoros agreed that the positions of the three unions were precisely outlined in their letter to the president.

Last week, Vasiliou said the failure to implement the agreement has led to understaffed schools and that it was unlikely that the agreement would be fully implemented for the upcoming academic year.

“You understand that this is a red line for us,” she said, adding that the unions were open to taking measures.

The positions in question are not new positions, but non-permanent staff being made permanent.