Patrick Faber Points Finger at Media for Ministry/B.N.T.U. Miscommunication

Patrick Faber

Interestingly, the Minister of Education blamed the media for, (Quote) “stirring the mud between the union and government.” (Unquote)  Faber also says that the meeting was amicable and cordial.  Both parties, he says, are concentrating on the way forward.

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“The meetings today were just to decide on how we would move forward, so we have not gotten into the details any just yet.  We have agreed that we will have a meeting with the B.N.T.U. and to discuss the categorization activity for hardship allowances and we will also be discussing the issues that are outstanding for Proposal Twenty-two which was never really an issue.  The two issues that are outstanding, as you may know, are the issues having to do with the proprietorship of four community schools, whether they want to remain as community schools or whether they want to come under the government’s ownership.  So we discussed a way forward, we formed a little committee to deal with that issue, and then the other issue is having to do with the thirty percent coming from denominational and community schools as well, that are not forthcoming from some of the current employees, as well as, sorry, the past employees who are relying on their benefits of pension and gratuity.  So in effect, what has happened from a very long time ago is that we agreed that we will support the teachers in their quest to try to get those managements to pay their commitment which is the agreement.  So we will give the union and the teachers support in doing that.  So that was always what it was.  I think there was some misunderstanding in terms of when I said that it is not a live issue, it is because we had already agreed to these issues and so we just confirmed that that is the position today.  And then on the matter of commuting allowances, well we discussed those and where it is that the teachers had in some kind of application and it could be proven whether it, in some cases it did not reach the ministry, it probably got to the management and the management did not submit those, that we have agreed to honor those.  So again, we had a very cordial meeting, we were able to address all of these issues, in fact I believe that could have always sit down and discuss these issues.”