Unions Respond to Threat of Pay Cuts for Government-paid Teachers

Gerald Henry

Government’s proposal to issue teachers and public officers with promissory notes, as part of the package being offered to the unions, is yet to materialize.  Despite an agreement which they say was approved by the Prime Minister, that understanding was never formalized.  As for the docking of salaries for teachers who are paid directly by government, Senator Smith says the rules are very clear.

Gerald Henry, President, P.S.U.

“They had agreed that yes, they were going to try to issue a letter to us as it relates to the promissory notes without committing to the and actually increasing the domestic debt.  That was their thing, so but we wanted something that we would be assured that indeed after those three years those promissory notes would be issued.  …and so during the caucus they actually called their supreme leader and he said yes and we had agreed with that and so we were waiting during the week, you know, to get that letter.  Nothing came.  Instead, the supreme leader sent a letter of undertaking which blew everything out of the water.”

Elena Smith

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

“Our rules are very clear.  The general managers make that decision, not the Prime Minister, not the minister.  The general managers of schools.  And for the government schools, they also have a general manager and we know that yes, that general manager answers to, but it’s the general manager who must make those decisions.  And having put that position out there ahead of the general managers is another matter.”