Hi!

    Isn't the Teacher's Union part of the group banning students from demonstrating? Talk about double standards. Thanks.

                                                                    Buharry.

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Aggrieved teachers complain over unpaid salaries
By Biram SaidyBah 

Barely two weeks after aggrieved teachers engaged in double shifting, they have again been angrily demanding their unpaid salaries, which they said, were overdue. 

The teachers who came from all the regions of the country converged at the Department of State for Education where they staged an 'angry' protest against what they believed was 'negligence of duty' by the department's officials to end their plight. 

The teachers, who preferred anonymity told The Independent that they were 'fed up' with the situation and accused the department of disregard as far as the prompt payment of their salaries was concerned. They charged that the lack of payment is a situation they are forced to cope with every month 'without genuine reason.'  The teachers, who felt 'deeply wronged by the department's attitude' claimed that the education department and the national treasury are blaming each other for the delay to get their salaries delivered. 

A teacher who said he has been teaching for the past 18 years told this reporter that he was now 'fed-up' with going to the department without receiving his salary.  'It is painful to run after the money I worked for and still not receive it' he complained. 

Criticising the department for what he called its 'unreliability' another teacher said he was owed five months' salary and accused workers of the department of 'job negligence.'  'Teachers are the least respected civil servants in our society today' he observed, noting that teachers are the only civil servants 'running after' their salaries. 

Another teacher, looking old, said the whole situation was brought about by laziness on the part of the workers at the education department.  He said the teachers affected are only a 'small fraction' of the countrywide population of teachers. He demanded that their arrears be paid together with their monthly salaries.  He also called on the authorities to either do away with the double shifting or employ unqualified teachers to run the other shifts.  He said if the authorities are not in a position to regularise the payment of the teachers concerned it is better to do away with it.  He said it was painful to work for more than ten hours away from one's family without guarantees of monthly salaries. 

The Independent attempted to contact the education department but was informed that Mr. Baboucarr Boye, director of human resources development, was not in a position to talk to the press. The principal accountant also said he was not the right person to talk on the issue. 

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