St. Maarten Private Eye

From SMN News

Asked Parents to Support their Cause --- Government needs to Keep their Promise-- Elshot

Protesting Teachers infront of Administration Building Yesterday Afternoon

Philipsburg:--The Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) called their members to an emergency meeting at the WIFOL Building yesterday to discuss the delay in their retroactive payments which were to be made since January 2008.

President of WITU Claire Elshot said that while she was off island her members sent her several emails expressing their concerns about the monies that were promised to them by the island government. She said she did not have the answers to the questions her members were posing to her and instead of answering the questions individually she decided to call a meeting where the matter was discussed. Attending the meeting was Quincy Harrigan from the department of Education and Mrs. Claudia Foresight Labega who told the teachers they are sorry for the inconveniences caused and the delay. They also said that the real cause of the delay came from the school boards who sent in their information late and that they are still calculating the amount of monies due to the teachers. Both Labega and Harrigan told the teachers that their monies would be on their account by mid March. However, the teachers who had several posters and banners ready for action said they had enough and they were not willing to wait one day longer and that they needed straight answers from the Commissioner of Education Sarah Wescot Williams. The group of teachers who did not consist of the full membership of the WITU then drove over to the Government Administration Building honking their horns. Elshot said that her other members were not duly notified of the emergency meeting. She explained that a representative of MPC participated in the meetings and it is expected that all teachers would join the protest today.

They gathered in front of the building for a short period chanting where is the beef? Too late to calculate, no money no work, don’t be dishonest, and give us what you promise. By then commissioner of Public Works Theodore Heyliger came out and greeted the teachers telling them that the commissioner of education was in a meeting. Elshot and three of her members made their way inside the building hoping to secure an audience with Wescot Williams however, security personnel stopped them saying that the commissioner was in another meeting and that she could not meet with them. Elshot waited while security tried to see if the commissioner could be reached. Finally they told Elshot that the commissioner was not available and that she was in another meeting. Elshot then decided that she and her members would leave and return to the Government Building sometime today. She advised her members to make sure they sign in at the WIFOL building at 7:15 am this morning.

WITU President Addressing Her Members

The WITU president told members of the media that she is shocked to see the security took the decision to block the door before even trying seeing what the leader of government had to say. Obviously the teachers who were not happy with the way they were treated said that hoped that government would lock the doors of the schools today. Elshot said that the teachers are looking into getting their retroactive pay and she would be assisting them to get these monies that is long overdue. She said that the explanation that was given by Foresight Labega and Harrigan is unacceptable. She said that the leader of government already announced that these monies would be paid latest by February 15 2008 and that provisions for these monies is already in the 2008 budget. The union leader said that they would come back to see the commissioner of education today and if they don’t get through they intend to do just that until they meet with her. In the meantime she called on parents and guardians who have school aged children to come out and join them as they fight for what is theirs. Asked if she considered the possibility that the school boards might want to take repercussions against the teachers for participating in the industrial action she said that they were told that the school boards were to relay information to the teachers about the delay and they did not. “ what we are saying is that we need to be respected because no one, not the school boards neither government said anything about this delay, my members who have financial obligations to meet have been checking the ATM”S everyday to see if the payments were made and each time they have to leave disappointed” Elshot said.

Commissioner Heyliger Speaking With Elshot

In an interview with SMN News commissioner of education Sarah Wescot Williams said that they were hoping to make the retroactive payments by February 15 and the increase in salary scales would have taken effect by the end of February. However, even though the committee that is handling the matter did everything that is humanly possible to meet these dates they simply could not. She explained the main cause of the delay was due to the fact that the school boards submitted information on their staff late and when they received this information it had to be rechecked more than once.

Wescot Williams said that even teachers from the public schools could not get their payments because it has to be approved by the executive council and that did not reach them as yet. She said that the committee is hoping to have everything ready closer to the end of the month. The island leader of government said that Quincy Harrigan head of the education department and head of Welfare Claudia Foresight Labega clearly explained the union what has happened but they still decided to come to the building. She said that she understood that the union and its members are demanding the payments within a 24 hour period and that is not possible. She said that even if she meets with the union she cannot change anything and her intention is to send out a communiqué to the union informing them of the situation.

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