Teachers are taking ‘disproportionate’ action in long-running unrest, says PM Browne

I agree with the prime minister, but been nervous to make a comment on fb, cause everyone go want come down on me. This is ridiculous. These teachers don’t care about the students

I hope when they get pay now,they will spend more time with their students until they understand how to do their work more properly….

If the issues were dealt with earlier, we wouldn’t be here now.

Has the government truly listened to their concerns, or just tried to manage them?

Instead of criticizing, I think the PM should be meeting with them face-to-face.

Support your teachers, and you support the country’s future.

Gaston if feeling offended because the worker force standup to mistreatment rightly. United you stand, divided we fall. If one person is being poorly mistreated everyone should standup and defend you fellow worker.

Unpaid issues have been going on for years, almost a decade when I talked with my teachers has how come you’re a teacher even when the pay is shit and you don’t even get it on time sometimes not at all. They replied because they love teaching. This isn’t a political issue you need money for everything rent, bills, food, medical issue even some schooling. Being unpaid put people bad horribly. They don’t have the savings to just eat not getting paid.

This isn’t just a issue teachers face. LIAT workers, the little medical workers the gov have, public workers of all front, even landlords are owed money. So yes even if one teacher is unpaid all should stand with that person because that’s how you make a change in a country and force the government to take action

Agree with you gaston

@Watchful citizen.
They really don’t. It’s really sad. This could have been handled differently, but they made it political. Not good at all, and whennthe PM talk people a ketch feelings, but it’s the truth.

I blame successive governments. Is you guys that spoil government teachers, some of them mediocre af, and always pandering to them. Now they treat the A&BUT as a political weapon against people’s children. Do care what all them teachers say, being a government teacher is one of the best jobs to have in Antigua, and the salary good and they get at least 15 weeks vacation a year. So none of them go resign, just b@tch and punish the kids them

The teachers have rights as all of us. The Administrators of the Ministries of Education and Finance treats the Teachers with too much disrespect. They have a right to sit in, to get their damn money owed to them for 5 years and more. There are too many kissers of Gaston Browne’s rear in Antigua.Stand your ground, Teachers.

He na go tell you that govt owe some teachers in excessive thousands. If the teachers were so wrong in their action, the ministry could have done something about it. But because MOE continues to act in bad faith with teachers, all the politicians can do is spin the rhetoric. When have you ever heard of politicians being owed back pay???? NEVER!!!! Because when they go in they make sure they are paid. They even ensured that the last salary increase they have already gotten the back pay to go with it. It is only in afterthought that the general population is thought about. You are talking about monies being owed from as far back as 2018. Teachers unable to improve their state of living, not because they don’t qualify for more money but because time and time again, the govt refuses to pay. The pay increase that he speaks of doesn’t even come close to match the difference of the monthly monies many persons have not received. Go ahead and let that greedy man deceive yall because I guess you would be comfortable working and not getting your full salary.

Even the minister of Ed admitted in his so-called apology that some of the cheques were issued on the same day that they chose to release the names and that unknown to many of you that information was only released after the close of business. Many other teachers have received their cheques through proper communication so the ministers story of expedience is a lie from the pits of hell. They not going to tell you that they set the deadline for the May 1 at 9am and asked the union to work with them until May 2 at 12pm where there was assurance all monies would be paid. Then Hurst talking about teachers should give notice. They had well over 2 months notice of what would happen should they fail to pay. To be even clear, this discussion did even start this year, it started since as far back as at least 2021 and now you blame the teachers?

Y’all talking against teachers yall don’t care nobody but yall self not even yall children yall care about because you too would go to the ministers and tell to make that the schools have all the learning needs. They started giving children laptops, hot hot in covid. When last did any of your children get one? Ask your children about the access to Internet at their school and it affects their teachers abilities to share learning materials with them? How many of your children have proper and compatible devices to keep up with the learning needs of the classroom? Aryu jus gimme a break. Same teachers taking out the same salaries that they can’t get, out of the mouths of their own children, to provide learning aids for yours. Aryu to ungrateful.

Look how many times we take our own personal money to buy resources so that our students can learn and this is the thanks we get by calling our action disproportionate. Ok Gaston, you are always right and everybody else wrong.

I was so disappointed when I heard the PM say “If they are paid late SO WHAT?!”. Mr. PM, what happens when you are paid late?? Are you aware that these monies owed are not a couple days, weeks or even months late??? These allowances are outstanding a couple of YEARS now. Children languishing for days now is the biggest outrage but teachers languishing for years is OK, right???

Anyway, enough talking. Hear ya: 🗣🗣 IT’S THEIR MONEY AND THEY NEED IT NOW‼️

Most of these issues could have been easily be resolved by dialogue. If a man owes me, it is in his place to contact me to let me know when he intends to repay me. And if we made an arrangement, it is in his place to adhere to the agreement and if he can’t, then he ought to communicate that to me and seek an extension that is convenient and acceptable to both of us These name-calling on social media helps no one and only lends itself to further hostility and bitterness which serves no good. It is unfair to accuse the teachers of playing politics because they stand up for their right. Build bridges, not walls Honourable Prime Minister!

Having been on both sides of the fence..teacher n parent …though it hard on da pupils..it brings to light the inadequate functioning of “some persons” in charge..and it is highlighted by PM Browne..’ the ministry cognitive works are mired in cobwebs….Y should it take such actions for the trains run smoothly n on time? ..is decades now this fallacious behavior is practiced..the children yes BUT TEACHERS YES ALSO..

Instead of taking responsibility of the issue her comes Gaston blaming it on politics and opposition.

Whenever has this man listen to the needs of the people, especially the backbone of the nation, when?

Like I always say..this man talks like he is running for office, instead of realizing that he is indeed the PM.

Listen to your people sometimes you donkey, especially when they disagree with you, that’s the time you should even listen more keenly.

What a big Jackass this man is.

Gaston Browne !!! most of the individuals whom are now put incharge of our schools, are mostly Labour Party Supporters whom has been appointed by your Administration. Check out your Principals and Deputy Principals and see who are dealing in politics. Some of these individuals are only appointed, owing to their relationship with the Antigua Labour Party..

Gaston Browne, there is no disproportionality when defending your money except the taking of a life.
A government must show empathy for its citizens.
However when government is more concerned about the members well being that that of the citizenry it has overstayed its welcome.
Was tge action of cabinet not disproportionate when cabinet gave itself 14 percent retroactively and in the same swoop collected all associated back pay one time?
If there is more ey for you and your cabinet why isn’t there for the tax payers?
Then in a bid to embarass the teachers and their union, your government unscrupulously published tge names of teachers in the media to give the impression they were wrongfully holding your government hostage.
So, before you throw eggs in the teachers faces you either muddy yours or make it spotless.
Stop making yourself appear as the victim.
On labour day you boasted that there had never been any industrial action by any sector against your government.
That was on Monday.
However since Friday before the teachers had been out of the classrooms.
If only you would be truthful you would reap better results from the public servants.
If you were not aware of the protest action before making your labour day speech you need to fire your education minister.

The rent for his property includes a clause for a US$1000 for every day after the due date of the monthly rent. Contempt and avarice are the reasons for him being in his present predicament.

I am going to comment starting with the premise that this level of nonsense can’t becoming from our Prime Minister. I was a teacher. Teachers have responsibilities, they too have children bills etc. But they can be abused. The parents should be telling the government to do better. Why should teachers love others more than themselves?. Just stop the bully tactics. If from 2018 you owe someone, WHAT EFFORT WAS MADE.

So when APUA bills appear they gonna tell APUA that they care bout the students so much so they don’t have money to pay bills, or the prime minister didn organize the money so u can’t disconnect me? Boy some ppl really jus foolish wicked or jus love a man in power more than their rights

He should pay the teachers their well deserved raise using the money he pocketed from alfa nero

I agree with the PM on this one. It was disproportionate – they have just strike for all the monies owed to them, the back pay, the allowances everything one time.
I agree with the PM on never accepting responsibility for the failures of the administration you lead. Just put the blame on someone else. Even Milli Vanilli sang ‘Blame it on the rain….whatever you do, don’t put the blame on you.”
I agree with the PM on this one, had the Government really care for the nation’s youth, it would treated with respect those who are responsible for teaching them, but instead it disrespect them in front of the same young people who they are to teach. Even the students know that teachers are treated with disdain.
I agree with the PM – but on this occasion, just him not choosing to respond, and perhaps state that we are working to ensure that every citizen feels appreciated, and we will work with our workers to provide the best for them.
I agree that everything is politics – politics deal with making policies to safeguard and protect the citizens who continue to put or elect leaders with their interests at heart.
So PM, as chief servant, you would have done much better keeping a quiet tongue on this because teachers have had enough, yet they still will give their best to ensure that they teach. Perhaps you should try instilling in the nation’s youth that it is their responsibility to learn and be respectful. But can you do that?