**Serbian Government Forms Working Group to Talk with Teachers**
The Serbian government has agreed to form a special group to discuss salary increases for teachers. This decision comes after many teachers and education workers went on strike, demanding higher pay.
Members of this new group will talk about how to increase salaries in the education sector. They will also help develop plans for negotiations with teachers and other important groups. The government hopes that these discussions will lead to a successful resolution.
**Teachers’ Strike Continues**
In November, several school districts shortened classes by 30 minutes each week as part of a rotating strike. This was due to demands from education workers for higher salaries.
Recently, high school students joined university students in protests demanding accountability for a deadly accident at a train station in Novi Sad. Some teachers supported their students’ actions, but the government responded by ordering an early winter break to stop the school protests.
**Government Threatens Teachers**
On January 3, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said that the second semester will start as planned and warned that any teacher who refuses to work will be fired.
However, Mirjana Gasic from the Union of Serbian Education Workers responded by saying that no teacher is willing to give in to such pressure. She also pointed out that there aren’t enough qualified educators available to replace current teachers.
**Unions Want Salaries Increased**
The education workers’ unions are calling for average teacher salaries to be aligned with the national average, as agreed upon a year and a half ago. However, the government has not fulfilled this commitment.