The Bahamas Educators Managerial Union (BEMU) has obtained a strike certificate they are prepared to use if their outstanding grievances are not addressed.
BEMU President, Stephen McPhee led a press conference on Thursday where he said the education ministry is not operating in good faith. He said, “to date, we have written three requests, formally, seeking an audience with the Minister and the executive management team of the ministry and the Department of Education, solely just to say to them, despite what is being said publicly, that we endorse and we support their attempts. However, we will not be sidelined.”
Among the union’s concerns is the shortage of teachers and administrators. McPhee said, “in some case we have members who have gone for over a decade serving in leadership posts, but still to date have not received their promotion letters. And thereby, they are not receiving the remuneration. They are not receiving the benefits nor even the authority of the office. And we’re talking about principals, vice principals, senior masters and mistresses.”
According to the union president they have requested an increase of $58.34 per month for members promoted from a teacher to senior master or mistress. “We have persons who retroactive pay, we have found $60,000, $30,000 you have to pay someone in arrears, it can’t be. And if we’re going to hire, the salary to hire one teacher will take care of probably a large portion of the promoted principals, vice principals, education officers,” McPhee
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology released a statement in response to the union on Thursday. It said education officials have met with the BEMU on two occasions and the outstanding matters have been discussed.
