PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, – Teachers at a secondary school here have vowed to remain off the job until the authorities make good on the promise to pay outstanding arrears and appoint new teachers dating back to several years.
The teachers at the Faustin Soulouque High School, who began their industrial action on January 14, vowed to continue even though students have been staging street demonstration demanding that the teachers return to the classrooms.
The teachers are demanding the payment of outstanding salaries for the period 2013-2015, the appointment of teachers to who work in the classrooms and payment for teachers who have not been paid for many months.
In addition, they are calling on the authorities to respect the rights of students who have clashed with police during their street demonstrations.
The teachers, who held a sit-in at the prosecutor’s office of Petit-Goâve, on Monday, in protest at the threat made by the Commissioner of the Government, Fourjy Pierre, that any teacher who incite students to participate in any form of violence would be arrested.
The teachers have also denounced statements and threats as well as the smear campaign they claim being orchestrated by the local authorities. (CMC)
