A SIMMERING dispute between teachers in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and the regional administration has been amicably resolved.
The dispute was settled after a meeting yesterday, when it was agreed that the protest action taken by the teachers over the past few days had been based on a misconception. Resolution of the issue was arrived at during a meeting involving the Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, senior officers of the Ministry of Communities who travelled to the region and union representatives in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, on Friday.
“The teachers became annoyed after they felt that the region would be withholding three months salary if they proceed overseas on vacation leave,” Regional Executive Officer Mr Ovid Morrison said.
“At the meeting yesterday they were assured that it was never the intention of the administration to withhold three months salaries, but merely one month as has been the custom and practice over the years. They were told that if they go on vacation leave in July and August, then only the June month salary will be held. They will have access as always to their July and August month salaries and on resumption of duties, then June month salary will be released. There was no intention to change anything from the way it has always been. It was just that the teachers misunderstood what was verbally communicated to them and became annoyed and resorted to protest action,” he said.
“They have since agreed that the protest actions were based on a misconception and had been unnecessary,” he said. Regional Vice-President of the GTU in Region Five, Ms Donnette D’Andrade, confirmed that the misconceptions that members had arrived at had been cleared up.
She said: ““It is not a three months’ salary as was verbally communicated to us by the Department of Education. It is just one month’s salary. That is part of the regulations. If you are leaving in July, it will be June month that is withheld. July and August will be deposited into the bank account that you can access at any time; whether you are here or not.” she said.
She added: “We at the regional level of the union have no problem with that.”
The Regional Department of Education refuted the claim that they had told the teachers three months salaries would have been withheld. “We told them the prior month salary and not three months,” Regional Education Officer (Ag) Ms Annesta Douglas insisted.
It was agreed that all future communications between the department and teachers on any issue will be done in writing. Morrison had said earlier that the administration had revived the measure because of the huge sums of money overpaid to teachers who leave the country ostensibly on vacation and do not return. He disclosed that these teachers leave in July and then access their salaries for June, July August and September, knowing that they had no intention of returning.
He disclosed that as at 2015, some $85M had been overpaid to such persons and for 2016 at least $1.3M in overpayments had been discovered to date in an ongoing investigation aimed at addressing financial irregularities that have been highlighted by the Auditor General and raised by the Public Accounts Committee. Teachers had staged a picketing demonstration outside the regional administration for the second day yesterday which lasted for about 90 minutes before the issue was resolved.