By Tahna Weston
Teachers yesterday staged industrial action in the form of a sit-in – and have pledged to continue until all teachers are paid their retroactive payments covering a three-year period.
The move has impacted children across the country just days into the new school year. Supported by the Teachers’ Union (A&BUT), it follows the government’s failure to live up to its promise to settle long-awaited upgrade payments.
The issue has long been a bone of contention and, following months of negotiations between the union and the government, an agreement was finally struck in April.
A contract was signed in which the administration agreed to conditions in a collective bargaining agreement for the period 2018 to 2024 and in which a 14 percent pay increase, retroactive to 2018, was agreed.
However, at the commencement of this new school term the teachers decided to take a stand to force the government to pay all outstanding sums, since it had reneged on its agreement.
In a letter on Tuesday the union informed its membership of the planned action, which prompted Ministry of Education officials, including the Minister of Education Daryll Matthew, to engage the teachers in discussions.
Following that meeting, the A&BUT met with its membership yesterday, and they opted to go forward with the industrial action after refusing the government’s counter proposal.
Sharon Kelsick, the union’s General Secretary, said that while the government’s proposal was not bad, based on the history of the situation and how many times the goalposts have been moved, at times without consultation with the union, the teachers have trepidation about promises made.
“When we met with our membership last week a motion was moved that we would engage in industrial action [Wednesday] if all cheques for 2019, 2020 and 2021 retroactive pay wasn’t disseminated to the deserving persons by 9am [Wednesday].
“The teachers really don’t trust that moving it (the timeline for payment) again is going to be satisfactory for them. They don’t trust the ministry’s word that it will be done in the time that they specify and so they decided that they would continue with the motion and to engage in industrial action.
“And they will continue engaging in industrial action until all the cheques are paid out,” Kelsick said.
She continued that teachers have responsibilities and cannot live on promises.
She said that the union has been trying to have this issue settled since last year with an agreement reached last October. Kelsick noted that the union gave the government an extension in March until April, and then again in May the government gave itself an extension to the end of August apparently without consultation with the union.
Kelsick disclosed that, by way of a letter, the administration promised to pay a portion of the retroactive funds by the end of 2023 and then again by the end of August this year, but failed to do so.
She said that for 2019 and 2020 there were 24 teachers who were still to receive cheques, while for 2021 there were 300-plus teachers who were still owed.
Kelsick said that the union received a list yesterday indicating that there were cheques available at the ministry for those teachers. She said that while the list is extensive it does not cover the entire 300 teachers.
She noted that the union is not in an antagonistic relationship with its employers and is only seeking to get the teachers’ money in the shortest possible time.
Kelsick said the union maintains an open communication with the Ministry of Education and has informed the Education Minister, Permanent Secretary and Director of Education via a letter about its decision to take industrial action.
A meeting is set for next week between A&BUT and Ministry of Education officials.
Education officials were approached for comment last night but declined to do so.
