Teachers at the European schools in Brussels are taking a series of actions to demand job stability, fair contracts, and equal rights for locally recruited staff, as well as union representation in the schools.
The teachers have been holding several strike actions since February to draw attention to their situation. On Wednesday morning, between 400 and 500 of them gathered at Schuman for a protest march, which would take them to the Secretary-General's office. The Brussels Times spoke to several participants.
"I have worked for the European school for 20 years now. But every school year, I have to wait and see how many hours I get or if I even get any. We are treated like Uber drivers, if you think about it," says one teacher who works at the European School of Brussels II (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert).
No job security
The teachers are denouncing the difference in status between seconded teachers (détachés) sent by EU Member States and Locally Recruited Teachers (LRTs). While the latter should only make up a maximum of 30% of the workforce, the balance tips more towards 50-50 in Brussels' European schools.
What's worse is that they are not treated equally: LRTs do not benefit from job security, fair salary structures, or proper career progression – leaving them vulnerable to sudden job losses, contract reductions, and unpredictable working hours.
"The different status is a big problem," says Sophie Fourneau, a Locally Recruited Teacher at the European school in Uccle. "We have no guarantee on the number of hours we get next year, but our salaries depend on those hours. So there is always this feeling of stress hanging over us, and that can impact our teaching."
European teacher strike. Credit: The Brussels Times
When a seconded teacher arrives, LRTs lose working hours – or their jobs – and have no say in the process. "We do not have any security. At any time, we can hear that we will have fewer hours the next year. We are not even sure about our pensions," says Stela Angelozi, who also teaches in Uccle.
Her colleague in Uccle, Olivier Picaud, adds that even with a permanent contract, teachers do not always get enough hours for a good salary. "Sometimes you have to teach subjects you are not comfortable with, just to complete your timetable. That is not good for anyone, not for the students either."
Not EU-qual
Joe, a music teacher at the European school in Woluwe, also recognises the pressure. "People can lose their hours, or even their entire job, from one year to the next. That is a major problem for people who have bought a house or want to get a loan, for example."
At 64 years old, he considers himself in a similar position of insecurity. "If I suddenly lost all my hours, it is not like I am going to be able to walk out the door and get a job somewhere else."
He blames the European Commission for not taking a stand against this system. "The EU is always preaching about how everyone has to be treated equally. Well, we are in Europe and we are teaching the children of the people who are in that Commission, yet we are not being treated equally."
European teacher strike. Credit: The Brussels Times
One of the co-organisers of the protest, Tom Boiy, explains that the European school teachers' employment contracts are illegal, when looking at them through a Belgian lens. "However, our statute as LRT gives the European schools the freedom to sideline all Belgian and even European laws. They have their own laws and statutes, but these cause great inequality," he says.
The protesting teachers are demanding union representation – not as a goal in itself, but as a means to be treated equally. "The biggest issue is not our salary, but the uncertainty. The seconded teachers get priority, they need to have a full-time job. Then, they look at what is left to see what the LRTs get."
In principle, a staff member's permanent contract states how many hours they work. But every September, teachers are made to sign a supplement to their contract, in which the school proposes new hours.
"Our statutes state that this must be done in mutual consultation with the teacher, but if the teacher and management do not agree, the management can dismiss the teacher. In practice, that means that there is no consultation and the management simply gives you your hours, and you can take them or leave them," Boiy says.
European teacher strike. Credit: The Brussels Times
Union representation would help with getting some more leverage, he explains. "This week, we had a conversation with the Secretary-General, and for the first time, he said that setting up a trade union would not be impossible," he explains. "Through the actions that we have taken, we have gained momentum. Without union representation, nothing will happen."
Angelozi stresses that many of her colleagues agree with the strikes, but they did not come because they do not feel secure enough in their jobs to protest. "But we are not asking for anything outrageous. We just want basic rights – the same as everyone else in Belgium or the EU."
