Schools in Madang resume classes after teachers end strike

SCHOOLS in Madang resumed yesterday after hundreds of teachers across the province ended their three-week strike over their unpaid leave fares.
They resumed duties on the condition that the Madang provincial government pay their outstanding leave fares of K4.8 million by the end of term one or they will walk out again when term two begins.
Mamose region Teachers Service commissioner Joseph Ouyoumb commended the teachers and said their outstanding leave fares should still be paid to them.
“I appreciate and commend individual teachers who have resumed today,” Ouyoumb said. “It is the duty that they are called for and should not prolong the strike. But their leave entitlements have to be paid to them accordingly.”
The teachers were promised at the end of 2017 by the provincial government to have their outstanding leave fares of K4.5mil for 2017 and K1.8mil settled last year. That did not happen.
President of the PNG Teachers Association in Madang Remsy Oss said they met and agreed to boycott classes to show their frustrations over the delay.
The teachers boycotted classes for three weeks but resumed duties yesterday.
Chairman of the Teachers Service Commission Baran Sori said the commission was aware that K2 million was remitted by the Department of Finance and Treasury to pay for the leave fares but only K700,000 was paid.
It is understood that from the K700,000, all teachers due for leave in 2017 were paid K259 across the board.
Madang provincial education director Moses Sariki said the issue of the outstanding teachers’ leave fares now would wait till the provincial government budget was approved by the Minster for Finance James Marape.