Strike affects 100,000 children

By DOROTHY MARK
MORE than 700 teachers in Madang are refusing to resume duties over the non-payment of their outstanding leave fares, affecting around 100,000 children in 152 primary schools.
Students were sent home from school when term one began on Monday.
PNG Teachers’ Association Madang president Remsy Oss said the teachers would continue to boycott classes until the provincial government paid them their outstanding leave fares.
He said K1.3 million was outstanding from 2018 and K4.5 million from 2017. Oss said the 700 teachers had been promised by the provincial government and administration to be paid what they were owed.
“We want what is rightfully due to us,” he said.
Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra had explained that all leave fare entitlements had been paid to the provincial treasuries to be distributed to the teachers. Madang education director Moses Sariki said all documents relating to the teachers’ leave fares were compiled and provided to the provincial administration and government on the 2017 outstanding leave fares.
He did not know why there were no funds available to cater for that.
Sariki said for this year, the Government had released the funds late, so teachers should expect their leave fares paid into their bank accounts by Friday.
He said of the K3.7 million needed, only K600,000 was made available.
“That is 20 per cent of the expected funding the teachers have been looking forward to,” Sariki said.
Sariki urged the teachers to return to classes so that students are not affected by an “administrative issue”.
“If the provincial government and administration cannot assist them in time, we will find other alternatives,” he said. Madang acting administrator John Bivi appealed to the teachers to return to classes while the administration looks for ways to resolve the matter.
But Oss said teachers would continue the protest until their dues were paid.
He said the Mamose regional office and the national office of association were aware of their action.
“We suggested two options. One is to take the government to court, and the other is to boycott teaching in 2019. We began that on Monday,” he said.
The head teachers were advised to inform parents in all schools not to send their children to school.