Teachers to be paid fortnightly during Xmas

ALL teachers in PNG will be paid their salaries on a fortnightly basis instead of a lump sum starting this Christmas vacation.
Acting Education secretary Dr Joseph Pagelio announced this week that the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the Education Department made a collaborative decision for the adjustment.
He said teachers who were currently receiving encashable cheque payments, were advised to make prior arrangement to ensure that they received their pays during the vacation period at their current pay locations.
Pagelio explained that the decision was in line with the memorandum of agreement (MoA) between TSC and the Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Association (PNGTA) in November 2008.
The MoA was made under clause 4.5 which required the payment of teachers’ leave pay method to be paid fortnightly during period of paid annual leave rather than lump sum payment.
Pagelio further clarified that this agreement was made to ensure that the teachers have money after they resume duties in the new school year.
He said this arrangement would also assist teachers pay their children’s school fees and meet other necessities without waiting for their first pay to be processed.
Pagelio also reminded teachers who lacked bank accounts to open one and provide details to the payroll branch at Waigani for their method of payment to be changed from cheque to bank at the beginning of the 2011 school year.
He reminded the teachers that they were still required by law to complete the resumption of duty summary sheet (RDSS) upon resumption of duty at their respective schools and must forward them to the Waigani pay office before next Feb 28.
Teachers who fail to comply by this will be removed from the payroll next March 17.
Meanwhile, Pagelio said the teachers in all educational institutions in the country would begin their end of the school year leave from Dec 13 to Jan 28.
They will resume on Jan 31.
Pagelio said the students would resume classes on Feb 7 and urged all teachers to be present at the school premises before that time.