Madang teachers agree to end strike

By DOROTHY MARK
TEACHERS in Madang are ending their three-week boycott of classes today – on the understanding that their outstanding leave fares will be paid before the end of the first term.
PNG Teachers’ Association branch president Remcy Oss said the teachers would resume the strike at the start of term two if they did not get paid a total of K4.8 million.
Oss said the teachers were parents too and wanted their children to start classes.
Term one began three weeks ago but there had been no classes in Madang because of the boycott.
Teaching Service Commission chairman Baran Sori said in a letter to Madang provincial administrator John Bivi that the commission was concerned about the unpaid leave fares from 2017 and 2018.
Sori said the commission was aware that K2 million had been remitted to the provincial government by the Department of Treasury for the teachers’ leave fares. But only K700,000 was paid to the teachers.
He said the problem had resulted in the strike by the teachers that had affected the children’s education.
“The commission being the employer of the protesting teachers in Madang seeks your support in addressing the outstanding leave fares for 2018 before the end of this school term,” he said.
Oss said the teachers would resume duties today.
Meanwhile, association highlands region secretary John Melson said last week that teachers in the Highlands region were planning to join the industrial action by their counterparts in Madang over the same issue.
Melson said more than 500 teachers in Western Highlands, 300 in Jiwaka, 400 in Enga, 300 in Southern Highlands, 250 in Hela and 400 in Eastern
Highlands were still waiting for the payment of their leave fares.
He said the Government had paid the money to the provincial governments but the teachers were not paid.