Menorca school lunch rota sparks teacher dispute

A rotating school lunch rota has been set up for teachers at Sa Garriga state school in Sant Lluís, Menorca, according to the SIAU union. On Monday, SIAU urged the Ministry of Education and Universities not to impose the shifts and to set out teachers’ duties in writing. The time on rota would be offset against exclusive working hours.

The union says affected teachers are worried about whether the arrangement is compulsory, its effect on working conditions and the impact on personal and family life.

SIAU argues that the decree governing school lunch and cafeteria services cannot be used to assume that every teacher must take a shift. It says the rules require at least one member of the management team, or a teacher delegated by that team, to remain at the school while lunch is served.

That does not settle whether every member of staff can be placed on a compulsory rotating rota, the union says. It also wants a clear line drawn between being present at the school and directly caring for, supervising or watching children during lunch.

The decree has separate provisions on teachers helping pupils who use the lunch service, including specified duties and compensation. SIAU has backed the teachers challenging the rota and asked the ministry for a written ruling on whether it is lawful, what duties apply, how the time fits into working hours and what compensation is due.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Education · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com