How are work conditions for Spanish teachers like?

Spanish teachers are independent and seasonal workers. That is, our job depends on the number of students. Because of this, our legal status is that of monotributistas. This is a system that allows you to make individual contributions to the State (in order to have a retirement pension) and also have a medical insurance.

At this moment the number of monotributistas in Argentina is growing a lot: companies does not want to make contracts “en blanco” (literally “in white”, which means a work contract that give you contributions for retirement pension, medical insurance but also holidays, days off for studying and sick days). They do not want to make contracts because it’s “too expensive” for them.

To be a Spanish teacher monotributista means that:

1- We do not have holidays

2- We do not have days off for studying or if you are sick

3- We are not paid per year worked for a company

4- If we can’t go to work just for one day, we are not paid.

To make matters worse, schools do not have any kind of commitment towards teachers. Schools can withhold work from a teacher, that is, refuse to assign him or her teaching hours, no questions asked.

Why is this happening?

Because there is no legal framework for Spanish teachers. If it was to be created it should be named “idiomatic tourism”. But it does not exist. If schools would like to give us a contract they should do it under another legal status.

You choose: black or white?

Many schools are starting to give us contracts “en blanco”. This is the option: if you are monotribustista you are paid $ 15 per hour. If you want a contract, you are paid $ 12.

IBL is offering ARG $ 1100 (a month) for 4 hours and a half of teaching.

We urgently need the creation of a legal framework for the activity because it’s growing very fast. We want to be recognized as professionals. They must stop considering this as a unqualified profession.