No Guarantees that Teachers Will Receive Full Pay Going Forward

Elena Smith

In a meeting with Financial Secretary Joseph Waight back in March, assurances were given that teachers would be paid at the end of each month, notwithstanding the financial constraints.  The fact that government is late with April salaries raises concern that there are challenging times ahead in respect of meeting the wage bill in its entirety.  According to Smith, the Fin Sec had indicated to the union, as well as others at that meeting, that there are no guarantees that government would be able to meet salaries in full going forward.

Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.

“We note that when we met with the Fin Sec a few weeks ago, the three unions, he had mentioned that teachers and public officers would be paid for the month of March, well we had been paid for the month of March, but that we would have been paid for April.  But he also mentioned that there was no guarantee because of the situation  and despite the fact that they had mentioned, I believe the Prime Minister has said it as well, that they would do all in their power to ensure that we are paid, it would seem that with the situation at hand that that might not be able to happen for the rest of the coming months and so we have to be prepared and we have to expect that maybe at some point they will come to us and say that there will have to be a cut in salary.  We are hoping that that will not be, but at the same time we have to prepare for the worst.  So our teachers are aware of that, our council is aware of that and we are having some discussions with our members right now, getting feedback from them as to their take on that should that point come.”