Kindergarten teachers in Brava accuse the City Council of a lack of willingness to resolve pending cases

At issue are different employment and compensation situations, with one group of female workers currently earning 14,700$00 per month, while another group is demanding the pay scale provided for in the Plan for Positions, Duties, and Compensation (PCFR) for professionals without a bachelor’s degree.

The instructors claim that the situation has become unsustainable and say they are facing serious financial difficulties in covering their daily expenses.

One of the main demands concerns the instructors who, according to the complaint, continue to receive 14,700$00 per month. These workers argue that the amount should be raised to 19,000$00, which corresponds to the legal minimum wage, as they believe it is unacceptable to continue working for a salary that, they claim, is below the established minimum.

The difference of 5,000 escudos may seem small when viewed in isolation, but for workers with very low incomes, it represents a significant portion of their monthly budget. The instructors state that they have expenses for food, transportation, housing, water, electricity, their children’s education, and other basic needs, adding that they must purchase teaching materials, making it increasingly difficult to get by on their current pay.

The second situation involves another group of instructors who are demanding compliance with the pay scale set forth in the PCFR. According to the workers, the new system establishes a salary of 37,000$00 for professionals without a bachelor’s degree, which is why they argue that they should be classified according to that pay scale.

For this group, the issue is no longer limited to a simple salary adjustment. What is at stake, according to the instructors, is the recognition of the professional classification and pay scale corresponding to the duties they perform.

The workers question why they continue to receive pay that they consider incompatible with the new pay scale and argue that the City Council must clarify the situation and present a concrete solution.

The feelings expressed by the teachers are ones of outrage and frustration. The professionals believe they are being subjected to a situation they describe as abuse, especially given the responsibilities they assume daily in the kindergartens.

The teachers work directly with children and perform duties related to supervising, caring for, and supporting early childhood education. For these workers, the responsibility of these duties should be accompanied by fair compensation and compliance with the established career guidelines.

“We can’t make a living on these wages,” is one of the main messages conveyed by the professionals.

Their demand, therefore, is not merely about wanting to earn more. The workers say they are demanding what they believe to be a legally established right.

The instructors accuse the Brava City Council of not showing sufficient willingness to resolve the pending cases. The workers want to know the specific reasons for the delay and argue that the municipality must provide a clear response regarding the process for adjusting salaries.

Among the questions they hope to have answered are the date for the adjustment of salaries, the classification of the professionals covered by the PCFR, and whether retroactive payments will be made.

For the instructors, promises of a resolution are not enough. They want a concrete solution and a timeline that will let them know when their salaries will actually be adjusted.

The situation reported by the Brava instructors is part of a broader debate on the pay conditions of professionals working in preschool education under the responsibility of local governments.

At Brava, however, the workers say they are tired of waiting. For them, the issue is particularly serious because it involves people who continue to work every day despite receiving wages they consider insufficient to ensure a minimally dignified life.

The two cases presented by the teachers illustrate the scope of their demands. On one hand, there are workers who say they earn 14,700$00 and are demanding at least 19,000$00, which corresponds to the minimum wage they claim should apply. On the other hand, there is a group demanding to be classified under the 37,000$00 provided for in the PCFR for professionals without a bachelor’s degree, according to the understanding presented by the workers themselves.

For these professionals, the difference between the amounts they currently receive and the amounts they are demanding is a matter of economic survival.

The instructors argue that the City Council must take a clear stance and resolve the cases that remain pending. The expectation is that the municipality will publicly explain whether it acknowledges the demands, what obstacles exist, and what measures it intends to take to resolve the situation.

The workers say they do not want to remain in a state of uncertainty. They want to know when they will be able to receive the wages they believe are owed to them and, if there are accumulated wage differences, when those differences will be settled.

For them, the time for promises must give way to decisions.

The preschool teachers’ demands also highlight the role of professionals who work daily in early childhood education. Although the debate on education often focuses on teachers in subsequent levels of schooling, preschool professionals play an essential role in supporting children and preparing them for school life.

The preschool teachers argue that this work should be recognized not only through rhetoric but also through adequate working conditions and salaries.

In Brava, their message is that they do not intend to give up on their demands. While they await a response from the City Council, they say they will continue to demand a raise in their salaries and compliance with the legal framework they believe applies to their situation.

The question now rests with the Brava City Council: when will the pending cases involving the kindergarten teachers be resolved, and when will these workers see the amounts they are demanding reflected in their wages?

MS