Highlands teachers join strike

TEACHERS in the Highlands region have joined their colleagues in Madang to go on strike over their 2018 leave fare cuts.
PNG Teachers’ Association (PNGTA) Highlands’ regional secretary John Melson confirmed this yesterday. He said they were giving the Government seven days to come out clear on the issue.
Melson said if no answers were given, they would walk out of the classrooms.
He said teachers should be paid their leave fares in full and not half.
Melson said more than 500 teachers in Western Highlands were affected, over 300 in Jiwaka, over 400 in Enga, over 300 in Southern Highlands, over 250 in Hela, over 400 in Eastern Highlands, while Chimbu was yet to submit its figures.
He urged the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), as the employer of almost 70,000 teachers in the country, to address this issue.
Melson said the national government had paid the money to provincial governments, however, this had not been received in full by teachers.
“This strike is on,” he said.
“Teachers have been facing difficulties with their leave fares for years.”