THE?BARBADOS SECONDARY TEACHERS’ Union (BSTU) wants to see the establishment of a Teaching Service Commission.
BSTU?president Mary Redman made this call at the union’s annual general meeting held at Queen’s College recently.
“Teachers form a large group in the public service and this, coupled with the dynamic and fundamental nature of what we do, means that we need a special agency to deal speedily and effectively with our concerns,” she said.
Dennis DePeiza, general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), echoed her call for the Teaching Service Commission to become “a reality”.
Redman said the BSTU?had been agitating for this for more than 20 years.
Redman said there was a need for effective industrial relations training of public officers, especially those in senior positions. She added that there must be a knowledge of the relevant laws and regulations that govern the functioning of the service.
“The Alexandra action showed us that there was not even a basic understanding of the use of the terms ‘may’ and ‘shall’ as they appear in the law, resulting in [people] who should definitely know better accusing us of not having properly followed procedure.
“When [people at] those levels err in that way, it sends a message that our basic rights are seriously under threat,” she said.
Redman said there was a dire need for union members to make themselves available for training courses in industrial relations when they are offered. (MK)
