Public School Teachers End Protest Action, Resume Classes

Owura Kwadwo Hottish illustrates a window of Microsoft Word using colored chalk on a blackboard. He uses it to teach computer skills to students at the Betenase M/A Junior High School in Kumasi, Ghana.

Teachers Resume Classes After Industrial Action

Public school teachers in Antigua resumed classes on Friday after a two-day industrial action over outstanding pay. The Antigua-Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) announced that classes would return to normalcy immediately.

Background of the Dispute

Negotiations were underway for some time over the long-requested reclassification of salaries that would increase the pay for over 300 teachers. However, the payments and upgrades due for the period 2019 to 2021 to just a handful of remaining educators went unpaid.

Teachers Launch Sit-Ins

With this, three days into the new school year, the teachers launched sit-ins, impacting the start of school for hundreds of students. ABUT president Casroy Charles said that while the majority of teachers had been duly upgraded, about 20 educators were left out of the process.

Conclusion

Although the teachers are now back in the classroom, Charles expressed concern over the need for industrial action to resolve such matters. He noted that the union’s efforts to resolve the issue were met with resistance, and that the government’s failure to honor aspects of the bargaining agreement and the need to fence at least two schools remained unresolved.

FAQs

Q: Why did the teachers go on strike?
A: The teachers went on strike over outstanding pay and the failure of the government to honor aspects of the bargaining agreement.

Q: How many teachers were affected by the strike?
A: Over 300 teachers were affected by the strike, although about 20 educators were left out of the process.

Q: What is the next step for the union?
A: The union will continue to negotiate with the government to resolve the outstanding issues and ensure that teachers receive fair compensation.

Q: Will the strike have any impact on the students?
A: The strike may have impacted the start of school for hundreds of students, but the teachers have now resumed classes and the students are back in school.