RESOLUTIONS
FISE International Teleconference: “The Impact of COVID-19 on the Rights of Workers’ in Education – Immediate need protection measures against the pandemic for students and teachers”
The teleconference of the World Federation of Teachers Union, FISE, organized by the CNTE XVIII Michoacán-México section and FISE, which took place on October 6, 2020 with participants from Mexico, India, Brazil, Panama , Nepal, United States, Morocco, Chile, Greece, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay and Galicia on the topic “The impact of COVID-19 on the rights of workers in education – Immediate need for protection measures against the pandemic for students and teachers ”adopted the following resolutions:
Coordinated action between FISE unions in all countries for:
- Public, free, universal education, fight against the privatization of education through virtual platforms or television companies.
- New infrastructure, construction of more classrooms in each school so that each class has a maximum of 15 students, functional health services conditioned to current needs and which have a drinking water service, school canteens and leisure areas and sports grounds
- Recruitment of more teachers and educational support and assistance staff, according to the needs of students in small groups.
- Immediate and permanent hiring of health personnel for each school, such as school doctors and nurses, psychologists and nutritionists.
- Hygiene and protection measures in schools / universities, infrared thermometers, antibacterial gels, disinfection sprinklers, disinfectant towels, hygiene equipment, protective masks, mouth covers, partitions for offices, soap and blotting paper for hands.
- Free and open Internet, provision of the necessary equipment (laptop, tablets, etc.) to pupils and teachers.
- Defence of public, free and quality education that socially corresponds to national and popular interests;
- Strict fight against the denationalization of education promoted by foreign capital – Education is not a commodity: against the commodification of education.
- Upgrading of education professionals and public services, education must be humanistic and with a teacher present, but in the case of teachers who have a greater risk because they suffer from chronic degenerative diseases or because of advanced age, that they do not return to class until the sanitary conditions guarantee their return without danger of contagion, fully preserving their wages and social benefits.
- That the resumption of lessons in class only take place in a situation of full health security, when there is effective control of the pandemic (contagion rate) and a guarantee of effective conditions of biological security, in accordance with the directives of the WHO that will translate into effective protocols, the necessary infrastructure. Defend life first of all.
- Medical care to treat all illnesses and emergencies, apart from the creation of new hospitals that only treat COVID 19.
- Common front of teachers, students and parents to claim their rights
In addition, the participants stressed the importance of wider and more frequent communication between FISE unions to share information and strengthen internationalist solidarity.
PROPOSITION FOR A COORDINATED ACTION PLAN ADOPTED BY ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
Taking into account the previous resolutions and noting that as an integral part of the World Federation of Trade Unions and in particular of the International Federation of Teachers Unions, the following proposition arises:
ACTION PLAN:
AT ALL TIMES, WE WILL USE IN OUR POSTERS, COVERS AND DOCUMENTS THE LOGOS OF THE WFTU AND FISE TOGETHER WITH THOSE OF OUR OWN UNIONS AND WORKERS CENTRES.
Beginning with a first virtual day of struggle on Thursday, October 15 with the publication of posters and videos on all our social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, as well as during meetings and virtual courses claiming:
- a) “FREE AND OPEN INTERNET.
- b) “IMMEDIATE SUPPLY OF THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT (LAPTOP, TABLETS ETC.) TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.”
- c) “AGAINST THE DENATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION, EDUCATION IS NOT A COMMODITY”
- d) “CONSTRUCTION OF A GREATER NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS IN EACH SCHOOL FOR A MAXIMUM OF 15 STUDENTS IN EACH CLASSROOM”.
This activity should be practiced daily for a period of 15 days.
Bring your posters directly to the WFTU post office and publish on time.
Second day of virtual struggle starting October 28 with the following claims:
- A) “RESUMPTION OF CLASSES ONLY WHEN THERE IS A SITUATION OF FULL HEALTH SECURITY”.
- B) TEACHERS AT RISK CONDITIONS SHOULD NOT RETURN TO CLASSROOM UNTIL THEIR RETURN IS GUARANTEED WITHOUT RISK OF CONTAGATION, FULLY KEEPING THEIR SALARIES AND WORK BENEFITS.
- C) MEDICAL ATTENTION TO TREAT ALL ILLNESSES AND EMERGENCIES AND IN PARTICULAR THE CREATION OF NEW HOSPITALS THAT ONLY TREAT COVID 19.
This activity should be practiced daily for a period of 15 days.
Bring your posters directly to the WFTU post office and publish on time.
- Continental virtual conference of the unions of FISE of French-speaking African countries on October 27 at the time and on the agenda that we will determine shortly. The time allotted for presentations must be respected invariably, ending participations taking up only the minutes that are allowed. Before the assembly, the speeches must be recorded and shared by e-mail from the WFTU, in order to facilitate the work of colleagues who help us with the translation. Virtual conferences for other regions will also be held during the next period (Latin America, Asia, Arab World, English-speaking Africa).
