Azorean Government "listens very carefully" to teachers' concerns, ensures Berto Messias
The Government of the Azores "listens very carefully and with great responsibility" to the demands and concerns expressed by social partners, including "teachers and the unions representing teachers in the Region," ensured the Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs.
Berto Messias spoke at the Legislative Assembly in Horta, stressing that listening to teachers "is the Government's responsibility for what they represent to Azorean society and for the importance they have in building the future of the Azores."
"This is absolutely unquestionable and has always been that way," stressed Berto Messias.
The Regional Secretary regretted that PSD "has a sort of a summer passion for teachers, yielding to the temptation of taking advantage of the wave of street protests." In this regard, he warned that one cannot "rewrite history or forget the recent past."
"We cannot forget that those who could have helped the progression of teaching career have failed to do so. We cannot forget when the former Prime Minister, Passos Coelho, strongly supported by the PSD / Açores, suggested that teachers should emigrate and use their Portuguese language skills to teach in Portuguese-speaking countries."
Berto Messias recalled that, at that time, the Government of the Azores, using Regional Autonomy, "has protected teachers, protected the Azoreans and ensured the maintenance of income in the Region to various professional groups, including teachers."
"We are in the midst of a process," the Regional Secretary stressed, expressing his belief that this process "will end well for all parties, starting with teachers in the Azores, who may have a better career than the rest of the country."
"The Government of the Azores is, as always, not only on side of teachers but also on the side of fair and accurate claims. We respect and listen carefully to everyone's positions and we will be here, as always, to respond to these demands, protect those who have to be protected and support the claims that are fair and legitimate," said Berto Messias.