TEGUCIGALPA, February 3. The National Front of
Popular
Resistance of Honduras (FNRP)
announced today a mobilization of the whole country, to demand
better conditions for public employees and the teaching sector.
The general coordinator of the Front, Juan
Barahona, specified in statements to the press that the
demonstrations will take place February 14, followed by an
assembly at national level on the 25th.
We will go out onto the streets in solidarity
with the teachers, demanding the massive payment that they are
owed, pointed out, Barahona, one of the leaders of FNRP, created
hours after the military coup on June 28.
He added that during the demonstrations they
will protest against the threat of massive dismissals of public
employees by the conservative government of Porfirio Lobo, who
assumed the presidency on January 27.
The teaching's unions reiterated this Wednesday
the demand for the authorities to pay the back payments in wages,
vacations and social benefits owed to the teachers.
Bertín Alfaro, president of the Honduran
Professional Teachers Union, announced that if by March 1st the
pay freeze has not been cancelled, the teachers will begin a
strike at national level.
The teachers are claiming the payment of back
wages, benefits and vacations corresponding to 2009, as well as
cancelling the settlement with the National Institute of
Teaching Provisions (INPREMA).
Alfaro said that the total debt to the sector
amounts to more than 2.5 billion lempiras, equivalent to a
figure of over 132 million US dollars.
THE
GENERAL COORDINATOR OF THE FRONT, JUAN BARAHONA, SAID THAT THE
DEMONSTRATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE FEBRUARY 14.