We’ll not be bullied to call off teachers’ strike – Carbonu

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu says the striking teacher unions will not fall for the use of pressure to get them to return to the classrooms.

He said the teacher unions are poised to remain on strike until the government pays them the 20% cost of living allowance.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Carbonu said should a court action be triggered against the teacher unions to compel them to rescind their strike decision, they will fight to set aside the injunction.

“If they go to court to get an injunction, we will organize, go to court and set that injunction aside. When you go to court ex-parte, you have not given opportunity for the judge to listen to the other group. This time, if they go to court ex-parte, we will ask our legal people the next day to go to court to set that ex-parte injunction aside,” he said.

NAGRAT, and three other teacher unions currently on strike went into a meeting with the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and other stakeholders on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, over their demands for 20% COLA.

But the meeting ended inconclusively.

Carbonu said the teacher unions remain committed to engagement with government to resolve the issue.

“They indicated that they will be inviting us [soon]. We told them if they invite us, we will be there but for now, the strike continues,” he said.

The teachers are fighting for the payment of between 20% and 30% of their salaries as a Cost of Living Allowance.

The allowance according to the teachers will cushion them from current economic conditions and the worsening plight of teachers.

The National Labour Commission in a statement urged the teachers to rescind their decision to make way for negotiations.

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Source: citinewsroom.com