Teachers threaten prolonged strike

AFTER an 18 day work stoppage. Panama teachers are still locked head to head with Minister of Education, Lucy Molinar and an indefinite  prolonged strike threatens.

Threats of firings of those who do not return to work on Monday, August 19, and the insistence of President Martinelli that they call off the strike, motivated a group on Saturday, August 17, to call for an indefinite strike

Molinar said that it is a small group of teachers. who support the indefinite stoppage and that the country cannot be kidnapped by them because they have political interests.

Andres Rodriguez, of the Association of Teachers of Panama, said the indefinite strike will start from Monday, August 19. He  said the strike was called because they would not allow the firing of 46,000 education professionals.
While Molinar reiterated that a small group of teachers had political objectives "and we cannot submit".
She said the president, Ricardo Martinelli, was clear in saying on Friday, that next Monday, August 19, they must go to work and they have to cater to students.
The Minister said on TVN News that there are no plans to privatize education in Panama and Decree No. 920, has already been repealed as requested by the strikers.