Students at the state university UASD, affected by a month-long teacher strike, say they will take their protest for the reopening of classes to city streets if in the next 48 hours the teacher strike is not called off, according to a report in Acento. “We have put up with this nonsense for three weeks while Faprouasd, Asodemu and rector have paralyzed the university. We will not wait a single more day,” said Diógenes Gutiérrez, member of Frente Estudiantil de la Liberación Amín Abel (Felabel) and spokesperson for 18 student associations.
He said they have conducted peaceful protests to no avail. The teacher strike has affected around 200,000 UASD students nationwide. The semester should have begun on 31 January 2017.
The students said the additional funds requested should not be limited to paying wage increases for professors and UASD employees and should include increases in the budget to equip labs, and make improvements in the student bathrooms and classrooms. Funds should also be directed to the hiring of 2,000 faculty members and upgrading the registration platform of the university, among other requests.
With the mediation of the Minister of Superior Education Alejandrina Germán it was agreed on Wednesday, 15 February 2017, for a 10-15% wage increase for teachers. But the agreement needs to be formalized during an assembly of faculty and staff that has not yet happened.
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Acento
