P.U.P. Decries Government Ministers’ Direct Appeals to Teachers
The Leader of the Opposition also believes that the actions of government are union busting. He says, “Something is seriously wrong with this government.” Now, there are some who claim that the actions of the B.N.T.U. are politically motivated. So has the Opposition Leader met with the teachers’ union? He says he’s been very deliberate in his engagement with the B.N.T.U. – or in this case, the lack thereof.
John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader
“We find the actions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education despicable.Pretty much what the government is doing union bust.They want to try to break up the B.N.T.U. and try to intimidate the teachers by saying that well if you are not coming to work, we are going to find somebody to replace you. It is so ironic that when you want to see a minister you can’t see them but right now you have all the elected representatives and ministers of government and even their non-elected representatives going to the schools and talking to the teachers and managers for them to be able to keep the schools open. It is that they are shooting the messengers instead of looking at the message that the BNTU is talking about. It is about governance in the country, it is no longer about ourselves as the teachers are saying. It is not about the three, but it’s about the eight; the eight proposals that they have before the government. It is a despicable act on behalf of the government. Who are these people they are going to bring in? A lot of these people have been dismissed as teachers or they have not been able to get their licenses for one reason or the other. And now those are the people they are going to bring in to the classroom to look after our children? Something is seriously wrong with this government.”
John Briceño
Reporter
“Have you met with the B.N.T.U. leadership?”
John Briceño
“No. I have not met with the B.N.T.U. leadership and I have deliberately done so because I don’t want for people to think that what the B.N.T.U. is doing is political. Even though the Prime Minister is already accusing the President, Mister Luke Palacio, that he is political and being driven by us in the P.U.P. We have not met with the B.N.T.U. What we have been doing though is that we have been meeting with other unions and other organizations and appealing to them that we have to stand up with the B.N.T.U. We cannot allow the teachers to feel that they are alone in this fight.”
