PNG Teachers to go on strike in term 2, says Union President
The PNG Teachers' Association General Secretary, Ugwalubu Mowana told NBC News, that teachers have grown tired of being taken for granted for far too long.
He says issues of unpaid leave entitlements and a 3-percent salary increase are among outstanding issues which have lingered over time, without being effectively addressed.
Mr Mowana says the union has given the government notice that it will take action if all outstanding teacher issues are not resolved by the end of Term 1.
"We have teachers' leave fares that have been outstanding in the provinces, and almost all provinces have been affected.
"Recently Madang teachers had a standoff and we've returned the teachers back to work.
"We are frustrated that the teachers' entitlements have not been disbursed on time and our other entitlements have been denied.
"We are giving notice that by the end of Term 1 the state must pay all these entitlements to the teachers.
"At the moment we are already networking with our branches throughout the country to ensure that Term 2 of the calender year will not resume," Mr Mowana said.
Meantime, the PNG Teachers' Association says it is taking measures to get the government to honour its commitments of 2017.
Ugwalubu Mowana told NBC News, that the union is filing a dispute with the Labour Department on Tuesday, regarding the outstanding 3-percent salary increase for teachers.
"There is no monkey game around here. I want to make it clear to the teachers around the country that this is a union instruction now, be it with a resolution or without a resolution, we are making sure that an industrial action must be effected.
"And we are doing that right now," Mr Mowana said.
NBC News /PNG Today
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