Teachers' Union Issues Warning: Pay Transport Allowance or Face Escalation!

The following statement was issued by the Teachers' Union:

"The Teachers' Union demands that the Federation of Private Educational Institutions and private school administrations pay a daily transport allowance for male and female teachers, equivalent to the cost of five liters of gasoline, for each day of actual attendance at school, ensuring their ability to reach their workplaces without depleting their salaries.

The Union bases its demand on Law No. 266 dated October 23, 1993, which includes teaching staff in both public and private education under transport compensation provisions, and on Cabinet Decision No. 4 dated February 27, 2023, which adopted the standard of five liters of gasoline to determine the value of the daily transport allowance for workers in public education.

The Union considers this standard a fair basis for determining the transport allowance for teachers in private schools, taking into account the actual cost of commuting while preserving the value of the compensation and achieving equality with employees and users in private companies and institutions whose daily transport allowance has been set at the equivalent of five liters of gasoline pursuant to Decree No. 4021, within the limits specified therein. It is not acceptable for private sector teachers to remain outside the framework of fairness in bearing the burdens of commuting to work.

The Union affirms that enabling teachers to reach their schools is a fundamental responsibility that should not be loaded onto them from a salary already burdened by living costs. The regularity of the academic year requires securing the prerequisites for attendance and education, foremost among them being a fair transport allowance that keeps pace with fuel prices and preserves teacher dignity.

Accordingly, the Union calls on the Federation of Private Educational Institutions and private school administrations to initiate monthly payment of this allowance, based on days of actual attendance, with its value calculated according to the average price of gasoline during the month due, and clearly itemized separately from the salary.

The Union stresses the necessity of addressing this file quickly and calls on the Federation of Private Educational Institutions and private school administrations to respond to this legitimate demand out of concern for the stability of the academic year and the regularity of education, and to avoid forcing the Union to take escalatory steps in defense of teachers' rights and dignity."