Philipsburg:--- The President of the Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot told reporters on Thursday during the Windward Island Chamber of Labour Unions' press conference that she will be seeking a meeting with the Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs to get answers as to why the teachers of Public Schools on St. Maarten did not receive their salary increase (Loontrede).
Elshot said that the increase is due since August 2012 and to date the union nor the teachers have been updated as to why they did not get their salary increase. Elshot further explained that all teachers that are working at Government subsidized schools got their increase but public school teachers are on the 'wait and see' for the past five months.
The WITU President said the time for "wait and see" is up and she has requested a meeting with the Minister hoping that she would receive the necessary answers. Elshot said every month the teachers from the public schools are in touch with her and she has been asking them to wait and see what happens. She said that "wait and see" is over and she needs clear answers from the Minister of Education.
Another concern the WITU President intends to raise with the Minister of Education is the request to change the break that teachers receive in the month of February. Elshot said the union has submitted a request to the Minister asking her to adjust the calendar because the union would prefer if the teachers get the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday off. Elshot said most teachers from islands such as Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire that are celebrating Carnival during that time allow those teachers to go back home to visit their relatives and even have family reunions. Elshot said the unions need clarity on whether or not government made the shift on the calendar so that the teachers don't have to take days off. "Our Minister of Education came from the Public Schools and she knows exactly how the teachers think, therefore she needs to provide straight forward answers to the teachers and the unions."