Minister of Education Ronald Jones said that progress was made yesterday in discussions with the Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU) on issues at the Alexandra School.Jones said the negotiations over time had been challenging, but both parties had made some headway toward ensuring that learning takes place at the school in a calm and peaceful environment.At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour deliberation in the minister’s office on Constitution Road late yesterday, Jones said that progress had been made on five issues with emoluments relating to the pay when the teachers went on strike on January 5, still a bone of contention.Requires more time“The issue of the diminution of pay is one which requires more time so that we return to look at that based on all of the relevant strata in the whole mix.“What we are doing, based on what one calls the responsibleness of all parties concerned, is to systematically address these issues and bring them to an amicable, logical and sensible conclusion,” he said.Jones said there were several issues still to be resolved, and though some of them were not problematic, they were still important to the wider functioning of the school.Should be no hindrances“Once we have dealt with these issues, including the one pertaining to emoluments, there should not be any hindrance to the smooth start of the new school year which starts next month,” he added.BSTU president Mary Redman said the issues at Alexandra were varied and many.“We are trying to go down a path to get those issues resolved in a systematic way and to get them resolved in a way that not only sends a message to what should happen at the Alexandra School, but what should happen as best practice at all other schools in the island.”Redman said the staff at Alexandra had done an excellent job in difficult circumstances.“The staff must be commended for producing the quality of work that they have given in the conditions under which they had to work over the last seven years. They have risen to the task and have gone above and beyond.” The two parties meet again next Friday at the same venue.
(MK)
