Talks to review teachers’ pay start

 TALKS on reviewing teachers’ salaries have begun between the Papua New Guinea Teachers Association and the Teachers Service Commission.

PNGTA executives gave the acting chairman of TSC Baran Sori their log of claims last Wednesday.

“We are simply asking you to be fair when paying our teachers. We want to attract, retain and sustain them,” PNGTA president Tommy Hecko told Sori.

“They are servants of the state just like their counterparts in the public service.”

PNGTA general-secretary Ugwalubu Mowana said they also wanted other matters such as insurance and housing  addressed by the government.

He said a provision in the Public Servants Act stated that employees, when they leave after serving a certain period of time, receive an ex-gratia payment. But teachers do not enjoy this provision at present. 

“There is also the issue of study leave and the training of teachers which are very important.

“We found that in the last 10 years the requirement for entry for teachers is higher than any other public sector industry so we are basically putting our proposition in there for the state to consider.”

Meanwhile, the PNG Teachers Association has been asked to extend the deadline for nominations of office bearers because the distribution of nomination forms was late.

The nominations are to close on April 21. The election of association officials is conducted by the Electoral Commission every four years.

Association branch president in Morobe Mark Nanu said schools in the Mamose region were hoping to nominate officials but received the nomination forms late.

The election is for provincial branch executives and the national management committee comprising two members – a male and female – from each region.

Nanu called on association national president Tommy Hecko to extend the deadline for at least two weeks so that all members can take part in the election.

“Not all provinces have received their nomination forms,” Nanu said.

Nanu said he was forced to print the nomination forms from the PNGTA website.