By Precious D Freeman
Teachers representing the Monrovia Consolidated School System Teachers Association (MCSSTA), have announced a “stay home” strike action due to government failure to address their concerns.
Announcing the strike action in Monrovia, the head of MCSSTA, Augustine Nyormui stressed that they will not resume work until government addresses that plight.
According to him, to return to the classroom, the government should restitute all monies deducted illegally from employees or teachers’ salaries from 2019 to present as well as stabilizes the salaries of teachers instead of fluctuation or inconsistency of monthly salaries.
Other are for the government to settle the handshake and pension benefits of all February and August 2020 retirees including the regularizes or adjust salaries of teachers who obtained degrees from higher institutions of learning, as well as for the government to pay the US$50,000 that was promised by Finance Minister, Samuel D. Tweah as budget support to MCSS.
“President George M. Weah should appoints members of the board of MCSS to include teachers’ representation among others,” he added.
According to him, it is regrettable that after several months of dialogue and negotiation, meetings with the government through Minister Tweah, Education Minister, Ansu Sonii and the Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General, James Thompson regarding teachers’ welfare and are yet to live up to its obligation/promise.
“This government seem to be very insensitive to the plight of teachers because they have failed to address teachers plights even with the signing of the memorandum of understanding twice with them.
“We will not sit here as leaders of this professional Institution to allow the rich class in government to continue the Marginalization and inhumane treatment against our teachers,” Nyormui maintained.