| Education Minister Faber Offers Palacio To Pay Some Teachers’ Salaries |
| Thu, October 20, 2016 |
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The teachers' strike has ended, but the teachers are angry because government has said it will not pay the strike teachers for the days of work that they missed. The union calls it "bad faith", and warns that it has only put the strike "on hold".
Up to yesterday government was holding the line, but tonight there is some suggestion of softening that hardline. A letter sent today from the Minister of Education Patrick Faber to Teachers Union President Luke Palacio makes two proposals. First, that the BNTU uses its strike fund to pay the teachers, and second, at the point when that fund is insufficient, quote, "the Ministry of Education is willing to subsidize the payment to teachers."
The ministry also proposes to make up teaching time lost to students as a result of the strike. The minister asks Palacio t a meeting tomorrow to discuss this and adds, quote, "if we find agreement then the Ministry will proceed with paying full salaries for the teachers on strike on the condition that the BNTU will repay the government form its strike fund the agreed portion that BNTU would be responsible to meet for the teachers who are on strike," End quote.
It's an olive branch, but it's left to be seen if it will be considered agreeable to the Teachers Union. We are told the president replied to the Minister a short while ago saying the notice is too short and so he is unable to attend tomorrow's meeting. Faber his since offered to meet on the weekend, or as soon as possible.
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