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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 9 april 2019

Polish teachers go on indefinite strike at student exam time

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA ahead of this year's high cows, but not to chronically
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — school matriculation ex- underpaid educators.
Teachers in Poland went ams. "In the past two weeks,
on an indefinite nationwide Warsaw officials said about money has been found for
strike over pay Monday af- 80% of the city's schools everyone, not only for hu-
ter the government failed were closed Monday. Pre- mans, but there is no mon-
to meet union demands liminary figures from other ey for the teachers," Sla-
during days of negotia- regions showed that up womir Wittkowicz, head of
tions. to 90% of schools were af- the teachers' Trade Unions
The strike by teachers of fected in some areas. The Forum, said.
kindergarten all the way Polish Education Ministry President Andrzej Duda,
up through the final year of said 48.5% of schools na- whose wife taught high
high school is the first such tionwide were on strike at school German before she
widespread work stoppage noon. became Poland's first lady,
in Poland's classrooms since Poland has almost 400,000 expressed solidarity with
1993, when graduation ex- teachers and some 4.5 mil- the striking teachers, say-
ams had to be canceled at lion students. People talk through a fence near a banner, declaring the par- ing they should be prop-
ticipation at the indefinite nationwide teachers' pay strike, at the
many schools. The teachers were partly Primary School number 68 in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday, April erly compensated for their
The latest strike also comes spurred into action by an- 8, 2019. hard work. But Duda also
at a crucial time for stu- ger that the conservative Associated Press appealed to them to be
dents: days before end-of- ruling party, as part of its realistic with their demands
year tests in primary and campaign strategy for next ment elections, has offered families, businesses and to and to allow the scheduled
middle schools and weeks month's European Parlia- various financial boosts to farmers for their pigs and exams to be given.q

French PM calls for quick tax cuts to appease protesters

PARIS (AP) — France's prime tion: we must cut taxes and veil a series of economic
minister has called for quick cut them more quickly." At measures next week.
tax cuts to respond to the the same time, however, The yellow vest movement,
anger expressed through he said the government will prompted by a fuel tax
yellow vest protests across have to cut public spend- hike in November, has ex-
the country. ing. panded into a broader re-
Edouard Philippe on Mon- Philippe listed as other volt against Macron's poli-
day unveiled the results major topics the demand cies, which protesters see
of a three-month "big de- for more public services, as favoring the rich and big
bate" launched by Presi- new democratic ways to businesses.
dent Emmanuel Macron in influence political deci- The French government
response to the demonstra- sions and fighting climate said 1.5 million people have
tions, giving ordinary peo- change without raising tax- participated in the debate
ple the chance to express es to do it. through posts on a website,
their views on France's He called for "radical" local meetings and confer- Jerome Rodriguez, center, a prominent figure of the yellow vests
economy and democracy. changes but didn't provide ences, messages in griev- movement takes part in a rally in Paris, France, Saturday, April
6, 2019.
Philippe says "the debate details. ance books placed in town Associated Press
clearly indicates the direc- Macron is expected to un- halls and in letters.q