Wednesday, October 03, 2018
Teachers For Change (TFC) – a group of teachers who strive to fight for a common goal with the objective of addressing their problems have hailed the director general of the State Intelligence Services (SIS), Ousman Sowe, for his effort in ending their ongoing sit-down strike.
On Monday morning, the SIS boss invited the Task Force members to a meeting at his office in Banjul to find a solution of ending a two weeks sit-down strike. After hours of discussion, the SIS boss was able to reach an agreement with the striking teachers.
TFC was demanding increment of their salaries, issuing of identify card, no delay in the payment of their allowances and also timely payment of their provincial hardship allowances.
The spokesperson of TFC, Alhassan Ceesay, said they had a meeting with the SIS DG with a view to come to terms. He said they have reached an agreement as per the demands. “Some of our demands were partially solved particularly with regard to the identity card. Some of the schools within the Greater Banjul Area have already got their ID cards.”
According to him, it was also agreed that Teachers Training (TT) will not be posted to hardship zone, saying that they also agreed on the issue of allowance of which 60% to 70% will be increased and it will be put in the budget for consideration.
“Looking at the situation, we have all agreed to come to a point that we are going back to class and allow the government to take the demands as they promised to channel them and consider them in the subsequent budget,” he said.
“The SIS has done a great job because they intervened at a time when it is very necessary. We were welcomed nicely and had productive discussion with them as a family in order to come out with a solution to this two weeks strike.”
“We did not intend to go on strike and we did not want to be embarking on sit-down strike every times. We wanted the government to look into the matters of teachers,” he emphasized.
The chairman of TFC, Babucarr Janko, acknowledged they have come to terms with the authorities and would report to schools on Wednesday. “What we were more concern is that our demands have been put into consideration and no one will be victimised for involving in the strike.”
He called on the striking teachers to report to school. “We were promised that the authorities will provide a transport for us. Therefore, we will gather in one place, then the transport will come and take us to our various schools.”
Author: Momodou Jawo, The Point Newspaper
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