THE CONGRESS OF Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados has called on the Ministry of Education to restore the pay of teachers who attended two Barbados Union of Teachers meetings in April and May.
In a statement released today, CTUSAB said the decision to dock their pay could have implications for public officers system wide.
“CTUSAB is mindful of the threat which the docking of pay poses to the labour movement. It considers that this action is seemingly intended to intimidate, deprive workers of their property and right to organise,” the body said.
Below is the full text of the statement.
The Congress of Trade Union and Staff Associations of Barbados expresses dissatisfaction at the actions of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation to dock the pay of teachers who attend meetings called by their representative body, the Barbados Union of Teachers.
The fact that the Barbados Union of Teachers at no time declared or informed the Ministry that strike action was being taken, brings into question the validity of the action taken by the Ministry.
The reference made by the Ministry to strike action taken by the BUT, is not supported by the subsequent action taken to dock the pay of teachers
The Congress considers the action of the Ministry to be inappropriate in the circumstances, since it at no time evoked the established procedures pertaining to strike action being declared by a union, as set out in Section 20 (1) (a) and (b) of the Second Schedule of the Public Service Act, 2007-41. Section 20 (1) requires that all officers who are on leave at the commencement of a strike must be informed by the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department of an existence of a strike and of the fact that they must report for duty immediately unless that leave is: (a) Leave for the purpose of study or training leave (b)Leave of absence outside Barbados
The Congress is of the view that the action of the Ministry is ill-advised as it seemingly runs contrary to the accepted practice, where members of unions and staff associations are not penalized for attending meetings called by their representative bodies. CTUSAB posits that the actions of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation is injurious to the commitment of the Government of Barbados as reflected under Section 10.6 of Protocol V1, where, “Government as the largest single employer acknowledges its responsibility to be a model employer and to set the highest possible standards of trust, accountability and democracy in the workplace.
In as much that it would appear that the Ministry has made a cardinal error of judgment, and that its actions have done violence to the observance of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 which have been ratified by the Barbados Government. CTUSAB calls upon the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, to immediately and unreservingly move to restore the pay of teachers that has been docked.
CTUSAB highlights the fact that it is taking careful note of the implications that the docking of the pay of teachers could have on public officers system wide. CTUSAB is mindful of the threat which the docking of pay poses to the labour movement. It considers that this action is seemingly intended to intimidate, deprive workers of their property and right to organize.
(NB/PR)
