More threats in Southern H’lands

 Teachers in Southern Highlands are still standing on their three demands and there will be no classes when the school year begins on Monday.

More than 4,000 teachers will meet next Thursday in Mendi and decide the next course of actions if their demands are not met.

Last Wednesday the teachers petition the provincial government and education department to pay their mining allowance, increase their pay and K100 housing allowance instead of the current K6 fortnightly allowance.

John Kuimp of the Southern Highlands teachers working committee assisting PNGTA branch to fight for the teachers’ demands said yesterday from Mendi that the teachers were still in their villages and did not resume duty on Monday.

He said they were still waiting for the authorities to give them favourable response before returning to classes.

Kuimp said the 14-days notice would expire on Wednesday next week.

He said that since the PNGTA was not fighting on their behalf, all the teachers were united and would fight for their rights and would not gave up.

He said after their demands were met, they would cease their membership with the PNGTA.

Kuimp said the teachers contributed small portion of their salary into PNGTA which had done nothing to support them.

Meanwhile, he said the education office which they changed the pad locks and closed it last Wednesday was reopened on Monday.

He said some officers were working but no teachers went in to collect their duty resumption forms.