UPSEE cancels strike
Yannick Rivet
By Yannick Rivet
Published on 25th April, 2008
The Union of Private Secondary Education Employees (UPSEE) has decided to cancel its unlimited strike order, scheduled to start on April 29. The decision was taken late on Thursday night.
The Federation of Managers had extended its full support to UPSEE. The Union had earlier justified its stand to go ahead with its strike order by pointing out that there is no job security for the teachers if the conditions for redeployment mentioned in the 1983 and 2000 agreements are not maintained, says Yahya Paraouty, president of the union.
He also maintains that the PSSA and the Ministry of Education have so far failed to address many issues affecting teaching and teachers.
“We understand the concern of UPSEE regarding job security for teaching and non-teaching staff. However, only UPSEE has declared dispute with the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education. Our staff, being part of the Secondary & Preparatory Schools Teachers and Other Staff Union (SPSTSU), have not done so,” Gilberte Cheung, Director of the Bureau d'Education Catholique (BEC), said on Thursday April 24.
Another reason that is keeping the confessionals out of the strike is that the agreement on staff redeployment in case of college closure was signed only between Government and UPSEE, and not with SPSTSU.
Harish Bachwa, spokesperson of the Federation of Managers, said: “We fully support UPSEE's action and we have assured our staff that no action will be taken against them if they participate in a strike.”
UPSEE's strike order has been justified after the Minister of Education has decided to stop the redeployment of redundant teachers in case of eventual closures of colleges. A letter addressed by the Private Secondary Schools Authority (PSSA) to the private college's staff during the week poured oil on the fire, claiming that the strike order was a personal and political manoeuvre of UPSEE's president. “These are cheap and very serious allegations that question our integrity,” says the trade unionist.
He also maintains that the PSSA and the Ministry of Education have so far failed to address many issues affecting teaching and teachers.
“We understand the concern of UPSEE regarding job security for teaching and non-teaching staff. However, only UPSEE has declared dispute with the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education. Our staff, being part of the Secondary & Preparatory Schools Teachers and Other Staff Union (SPSTSU), have not done so,” Gilberte Cheung, Director of the Bureau d'Education Catholique (BEC), said on Thursday April 24.
Another reason that is keeping the confessionals out of the strike is that the agreement on staff redeployment in case of college closure was signed only between Government and UPSEE, and not with SPSTSU.
Harish Bachwa, spokesperson of the Federation of Managers, said: “We fully support UPSEE's action and we have assured our staff that no action will be taken against them if they participate in a strike.”
UPSEE's strike order has been justified after the Minister of Education has decided to stop the redeployment of redundant teachers in case of eventual closures of colleges. A letter addressed by the Private Secondary Schools Authority (PSSA) to the private college's staff during the week poured oil on the fire, claiming that the strike order was a personal and political manoeuvre of UPSEE's president. “These are cheap and very serious allegations that question our integrity,” says the trade unionist.