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Andrius Navickas, the director of the Lithuanian Union of Education Workers, says he evaluates this support for teachers negatively and relates it to the upcoming Seimas elections.
“We are negative, the teachers were very upset, they even insulted many, because the workload when working remotely has increased a lot and now the conditions are difficult. The teachers work almost without interruption. A few weeks ago there were rumors that there were plans to pay bonuses for work, and here, without consulting the teaching community, 100 euros. “It is not even for work, but just before the elections as a bribery attempt,” A. Navickas told BNS.
Nor does it agree that the benefits can only be spent on tourism or restaurant services.
“It’s all about the economy, it’s not better and bookstores are probably better, maybe teachers prefer to spend it on books, or theater, or somewhere else, and not necessarily for the tourism sector,” he said.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport informed BNS that the payment of 100 euros each is planned for all pedagogues: kindergarten teachers, social pedagogues, speech therapists, general education teachers and vocational training centers, school teachers and universities.
It is estimated that almost 63,000 will receive the money. people, they will receive about 6.3 million. euros.
In September, the Cabinet of Ministers widely approved the ministry’s plans to allocate 100 euros in benefits to educators. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis later said it would be the same measure as for doctors, while supporting the tourism sector. The government awarded scholarships of 200 euros each to doctors this year.
How support for tourism companies will come will be clear after the EC decision
The Ministry of Economy and Innovation intends to develop a procedure for assigning compensation to teachers and how they would reach tourism companies, but a decision from the EC is still pending; otherwise, educators would not be able to benefit from the support, as they would only have one month to do so.
According to Deputy Minister Vitalija Jankauskaitė-Milčiuvienė, the EC has approved a communication according to which up to 800 thousand can be awarded to a tourism company affected by the coronavirus crisis. but it is valid until the new year. The Ministry hopes that the EC will expand this procedure.
“We are waiting for this communication to be expanded, because I do not know if this measure (grant of 100 euros – BNS) will start this year. Maybe it will start, but it will definitely continue next year. (…) For now, we all hope it will continue, ”V. Jankauskaitė-Milčiuvienė told BNS.
According to her, if the EC did not renew the communication, another procedure would be prepared, but it would take longer.
The previous grant of 200 EUR for medical leave was not coordinated with the EC, it was applied in the framework of a de minimis aid, when the state aid for an economic entity can reach up to 200,000 LTL. euros for three years.
Žydrė Gavelienė, president of the National Association of Tourism Companies, says that the scholarships provided for teachers should be coordinated with the EC, because otherwise the companies will not be able to provide services.
“We have the problem that the most coveted objects – spas, hotels, popular excursions, can no longer participate in that program because they have used de minimis help limit. (…) If the educational relaxation measure is coordinated with the EC and is not applied de minimis, there will definitely be a positive impact on the tourism sector market ”, said BNS. Gavelienė.
V. Jankauskaitė-Milčiuvienė points out that only a few companies have reached the de minimis threshold.
“These are some of the largest companies, three sanatoriums. Of the 800 providers registered in the Travel in Lithuania program, where they can provide services to doctors, they are only relevant for a few market players. Let’s leave that for the little ones too . (…) The big ones are shouting that they cannot provide the maximum amount of services, on the other hand, there are a number of people who want to provide those services, “said the vice minister.
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