Presbyterian Schools In Danger, PEATTU strikes in Examination Session

Students in Presbyterian schools have been told by the trade union of Presbyterian Teachers, to independently, with the aid of their parents, continue to read their books at home and prepare for end of course examinations indicating that God Almighty will see the children through. The Union has also called on parents to bear with them as they take the hard stance of engaging another strike action in the days ahead.

In a strategic meeting held Monday June 30th in Bamenda, the members of the Presbyterian Education Authority Teachers Trade Union (PEATTU) say, they will embark on an “Indefinite” Strike action from Monday July 6th, 2020, to raise their voices against “Injustices” meted on them by their employer since 2018.

According to the communique released by this trade Union, they had signed a Protocol agreement on the 28th of November 2018 between the Union, Staff representatives of their Schools on one hand, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian church, School managers, Education and Finance Secretaries, and chairman of the PCC board of Trustees. This in what is seen as between an Employee and an Employer respectively.

The teachers note sadly that, the ministry of Labour that Brokered the Agreement between both had attempted to no avail to get the employer respect the terms.

“We have written several correspondences which the ministry of labor that brokered the agreement has been copied, which they acknowledged and equally wrote to the church hierarchy to respect its engagement to no avail. As a result of the indifference, disrespect of state Institutions, that is the labor ministry and even her employee of the ministry, we as a union have decided that there will be a sit-down strike in all our functional schools until the proprietor gives a definite answer to the following demands: … “part of the Statement signed by PEATTU leader, Afuh Stephen reads.

“With the situation of exams, we have children too who are in school but what do we do? how can we even go to school and teach without eating? we are treated as subhuman. We cannot fall Infront of the children. The church probably thought of these children before doing this” Esam Jerry, a staff Delegate of PCSS Buea told STANDARD MIRROR.

Of the four demands, they say they need their first 2 unpaid installments which deadline is long past, a cancellation of slashed percentages of salaries unto August 2020, Reinstate the collection of Union Checkoffs(dues) and reflect on workers’ pay slips and lastly, Review again the terms and level of implementation of the Protocol agreement earlier signed.

This decision by PEATTU is worrisome as exams are due to take off anytime soon, being the most crucial and controversial exam year for student due to the Coronavirus Pandemic that Perturbed studies for a while. How best or prepared the children are, remains a point of worry to many parents. The Teachers Trade Union of the Presbyterian church has often been under the spotlight for ill treatment and attempts to strike.

Authorities of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon have often denied allegations of not paying teachers and claim it’s a malicious attempt to ruin the church. They say even in the midst of the socio-political crisis is bedeviling their educational bastion, the Northwest and Southwest Regions, they have continued to at least give some payments to these teachers. The Moderator of the church had also warned about taking Church’s’ issues publicly and on social media, this has stopped many officials of the church from responding to worries like such, an example being the educational secretary of PCC who had been rumored of building a mansion while teachers issues go unresolved.

The crisis had closed many PCC schools and what is left is 14 Nursery, 20 Primary and 11 Secondary schools with about 30 Nursery, 170 Primary, 298 Secondary teachers, many retrenched. The Church or School authorities have not commented yet on this new development.

PEATTU is one of the trade unions that took part in the teachers strike that morphed to the new waves of what is widely known as the Anglophone crisis today. There are fears of what a strike in that part of the country might result to.