"We've been patient long enough. If taking action is what will be needed, then nobody has to teach us to take action…", those were the words of Senator Elena Smith today. She was explaining why the teachers are keeping up with their Green Friday's.
On January 20, a memo from the BNTU Council of Management went out to teachers reminding them of the decision taken to continue countrywide the Green Day activism.
The most powerful workers union in the country has remained on high alert pending decisions from the Ministry of Education on critical matters. Today we spoke to the Union president at the BNTU headquarters in Belize City she reminded us why the Union is still not satisfied.
Senator Elena Smith - President of the BNTU
"We still are not clear on contracts. We know that we have said that the Ministry had proposed that contracts would be for an indefinite period, which is good but they are other factors that contribute to that as well, especially the matter of the 120 CPD hours which teachers must gain within a 5 year period to renew a contract. So that is an issue. There is also an issue of that deals with teachers appointment and so the amendment also speaks to appointment of teachers but the mechanism is not in place. So the process is not fully fleshed out as yet to determine or to share with us how teachers will be appointed. So that is another issue. It is a huge issue because to get certain benefits you must be an appointed teacher. We have been enjoying these benefits without appointment but you never know… as what happened this year… you never know when they are going to enforce the rules."
"And then the matter of the vacation period, that is a huge issue as it will not only affect teachers but parents as well."
"In fairness to the BNTU, the general public at large can see that we have been trying our best to work with the Ministry in terms of sitting down meeting with the Ministry without having to resort to any industrial action."
Needless to say, 2020 is no year for a strike action by teachers. It's an election year, plus February will see a leadership convention for the very minister caught in the eye of this simmering storm… and of course for those of us who are parents marking graduation… primary school or high school... the January term is when the pedal hits the metal for PSE and CXC preparations. We asked Smith for a perspective on this...
Senator Elena Smith - President of the BNTU
"Preparations for PSE begin from infant 1 and so from September of std 6 they start to do a lot more to prepare for PSE which you know that we have two phases, so it is not that it just start in January,"
"In terms of all that is going on and what might be the perceptions out there, as I said before, we have been trying, we have tried. And so wearing a green shirt to school will not take away anything from teaching. Teaching is still going on."
"Now it might pose a concern for people because they know that when teachers get riled up they know what can happen. It might be a concern for the minister because he has an election coming up. We have nothing to do with that election. That is political and we do not get involved in political matters."
"Our teachers will be meeting on Friday at 4:30 across this country, all 10 branches will be having a meeting. They will discuss the matter with the teachers, share with them the concerns. They will be given a ballot to take a vote and whatever the teachers vote to do we have to abide by that."
Reporter:
"What's going to be on that ballot?"
Senator Elena Smith
"Well, they are going to be asked what actions the teachers want us to take. So if it is that the teachers want us to continue wearing our green; they want us to ensure that we have meetings; they want us to take strike action that is what we will be doing… whatever they tell us to do…we will be doing."
Reporter:
"So that is going to be on that ballot?"
Senator Elena Smith
"It is going to be on that ballot."
We'll keep following this one to see where it goes.
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