Teachers’ Union Looks at Legalities of Ministry’s Move
Luke Palacio
The memo from the Ministry of Education has obviously not been well received by the B.N.T.U. This afternoon, the B.N.T.U. executive met on the matter which could lead to further industrial action. President Luke Palacio said the union’s attorneys are carefully considering the legalities involved.
Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.
“We are also studying the documents. We have sent out to our membership that we are reviewing that document. We are also seeking legal advice on that document and then we will be able to make better pronouncements, if you will, as to what our actions will be in relation to this. We know for a fact that the ruling according to the advice we’ve received; that it is not the ministry’s purview to instruct managers to deduct salaries from teachers who are on strike. Rule 102 yes clearly indicates that if teachers are on strike, yes they may lose salary and one of the things that we note that the ministry has not articulated well is sub rule five of 102 which states that the management of the school—the manager or the principal of the school—where he or she deems it…where the principal or manager has reasonable grounds to believe that the safety of students and members of staff not on strike may be at risk, the principal or manager may close the school or institution and may advise the managing authority and the district education center of his decision. So what that is telling us is that those institutions—whether or not teachers were on strike—depending on the number of teachers on strike, how would that affect the teaching learning process or if students did not show up. This memo from the ministry is saying that those persons went against the instructions of ministry to keep the classrooms or the schools open. Those people have no choice; either the number of teachers or the students were not there and subsection five makes provisions for that.”
Mr. Luke, Of course students wanted to be in school but teachers discourage them not to go. In my area just the Principal and one teacher would reach. For a big school how you think these two people can handle all the students. There was a teacher that told me to send my kids to school so the principal would teach them since he does not want to join them. In my community most of the parents did not send their kids not because they were supporting the strike but because of their safety. Now their December break will be cut short which is something I believe is very much unfair for Students as well as for parents.
@Marb,
Keep calm you’ll see the effect of this strike will benefit many of us. It’s a pity that some kids wanted to go to school just like mines, but I sat down explain to him what is corruption and what exactly the teachers were and are fighting for. Explaining to him that if we don’t stop this people when he grows up he might be less better in life with hardship all around taxes to high rate and their future tarnished. So he understood what this strike was and we kept him busy doing school work from which I gave him daily to keep track.
Come on Marb keep calm o.k. Better is yet to come.
Belize government are a bunch of CRIminals