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By Tahna Weston
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The Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (A&BUT) is standing its ground and clapping back at Prime Minister (PM) Gaston Browne for comments he made during an interview on state media.
The PM accused public school teachers of being heartless, as they engage in protest action over the government’s ongoing failure to settle long-overdue financial obligations.
Browne, during his interview, called the teacher’s sit-in totally ridiculous and political.
During its weekly discussions, the Cabinet addressed the ongoing industrial action and urged teachers and their Union to consider that students are not responsible for the dispute. They underscored that the education of the future generation should always be a priority.
However, in a communique to its membership dated May 9, the A&BUT noted it is “unfazed by our nation’s Prime Minister’s diatribe” towards the union over this recent industrial action, the second within a month.
The union reminded teachers that from March this year to the commencement of this present industrial action, several missives were dispatched to the relevant authorities notifying of its intent to engage in industrial action if all outstanding arrears pertaining to travel, telephone and technical vocational allowances, in addition to head of department ex gratia payments, were not settled in full by the end of April.
Minister of Education Daryll Matthew, the A&BUT said, confirmed the union’s demands were reasonable and urged agents to meet them within the given timeline.
According to the union, despite all the relevant protocols being adhered to, the Ministry of Education and the Treasury Department are yet to fulfill their obligation to teachers.
“Lest we forget, in September 2024, the A&BUT staged industrial action to have this matter settled as more than 300 teachers were owed payments. In good faith, we returned to work before every teacher was settled.
“Yet settlement has not been realized for an unlucky few despite the government’s commitment to settling these arrears in a timely manner. Colleagues, be informed, the leadership of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers will never surrender our rights, nor interests, nor cower to any bully regardless of their origin and the nature of their aggression, the union said is the missive signed by its President Casroy Charles and Sharon Kelsick the general secretary.
Meanwhile, Charles while acknowledging that students are the future and they must receive quality education, he reminds the government that the employment relationship is transactional.
“How can you not pay me for tasks that I would have performed which the collective agreement dictates that I’m supposed to be remunerated for? And then when I take my stance because you would have failed to satisfy your obligation, you’re trying to tell me I must consider something outside of the employment arrangement.
“When they fire teachers or discipline teachers and those students are left without a teacher, why they don’t share the same sentiments that the children need to be educated, and persons should be in front of them giving them that quality of education. When a teacher is ill and they won’t be back on the site in a timely manner, why isn’t there a trust to have a substitute in that period of time so that the same quality of education is extended to teachers,” Charles said.
Charles views the position of the government over the teachers’ stance that they are jeopardizing the education of the nation as “very disrespectful, insulting and disingenuous”.
He questions whether the government itself is failing the students by not living up to its employer requirements.
“We try to do our best and we try to do it without compromising the integrity of our employment relations. So anytime we hear something that has the potential to cause the employment relations to be compromised, we have to stand up against it because we’re not here to bring our country to ruin. We want workers in the classroom satisfied.
“What quality of education a student can get when a teacher’s mind is on how they’re going to service these bills that they have to pay knowing that they have extra money – dollars out there which can put them in a better position. They can’t focus on the delivery of education in the way that they’re supposed to. …A satisfied worker is a productive worker. And if you’re owing me and not paying me, how satisfied would I be coming to work to suffer that sort of abuse?” Charles noted.
Charles said the union will continue to fight for the rights and interests of teachers across Antigua and Barbuda to ensure that the educational system will improve and the nation has highly intellectual individuals who can take us to that next level.
Teachers have been engaged in this industrial action – the second within a month – since last week Friday and have pledged to continue until all teachers are paid.
The Cabinet has expressed the hope that teachers will return to the classroom as soon as possible.
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