What’s Trending:Full pay for teachers

Wed, January 25, 2012 - 11:03 AM

The Nation’s Online Editor Carol Martindale looks at What’s Trending today in Barbados.

The Alexandra School dispute which has gripped this country for the last three weeks has now settled.

Today the 30 striking teachers are back in the classroom and according to Nation reporter Yvette Best who was at the St Peter school early this morning, all seems well there.

She reports that some teachers were greeted with hugs from the students.

Readers though, while happy they are back in the classrooms, are taking issue with the fact that the teachers who were off the job, were still able to collect their regular pay without facing any deductions for the period they had stayed away from work.

Arlene Browne: "You mean to tell me that after staying away from the classroom for three weeks they will still turn around and get pay? This is setting a bad precedent for others to follow.”

Ficelle wrote: “Wow, Imagine that.”

Sonia Harewood-Worme: "What next."

This is the new development despite a warning by a letter from the Acting Permanent Secretary Bruce Alleyne and copied to Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) earlier this month, that BSTU members were in danger of having their pay docked in keeping with the Public Service Act, The Code Of Conduct And Ethics, Paragraph 20 (2).

Education officials explained that with the SmartStream system payments are usually processed by the first week of the month, meaning that the teachers could still face deductions next month.

Readers are sure to keep following this issue.

carolmartindale@nationnews.com