Löfvens focus on teacher salaries receive criticism from the union – Sveriges Radio

The government is investing three billion dollars a year in higher teacher salaries – from 2016. The announcement gave Prime Minister Stephen Löfven at a press conference in Almedalen today. About 60 000 teachers who are “particularly adept” can get an extra pay rise of 3,000 per month. But who should get part of the money is determined locally.

– We have an exceptional location in the Swedish school with dramatically declining school performance that falls most in the OECD. And we have an increasingly unequal school. We must, among other things, be sure to raise the attractiveness of the teaching profession. The salary is a part, but we do obviously several things, says Stefan Löfven.

Both the Social Democrats and the Green Party went to the polls to higher teacher salaries. The proposal to set aside three billion crowns from 2016 was also the red-green government’s first budget – which of course was convicted of the Alliance and the Sweden Democrats.

Now, therefore Stefan Löfven informed that the government will return with the proposal in the autumn budget. It is also clear that it is especially skilled teachers who will receive part of the state pot.

These are on average 3000 dollars a month. But who should get part of the money is determined locally.

The idea of ​​teacher salary lifting is to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession and thereby raise awareness results in school.

But the government’s proposals for raising teachers’ salaries have been criticized from both unions and employers.

They have, among other things, warned that other professionals will also require extra money and think that the State should intervene in wage formation.

– I can understand that perspective. But it is so that we have an exceptional location in the Swedish school and we have to do something exceptional. When the teachers are so incredibly important, they are key in this, if we are to reverse this. For it is in the meeting between teachers and students that we can get these results turn, says Stefan Löfven.

LO Negotiating Secretary Torbjörn Johansson has said that the Government’s plan “shorting the Swedish model “.

– There is an involvement that is dangerous, it’s dynamite simply. Or nitroglycerin, shaken this as it may explode, he said.

Promise Olsson
lova.olsson@sverigesradio.se