Meeting with Education Ministry very high on BSTU’s agenda

Having a meeting with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, is first on the list of priorities for the new executive council of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU).

Newly re-elected President of the BSTU, Mary-Anne Redman acknowledged the above, as she spoke with members of the media about plans for this year, following the BSTU’s Annual General Meeting held earlier this week, at NUPW Headquarters in Dalkeith, St. Michael.

“Certainly going forward, is a meeting with the Ministry of Education. It is number one on our list of items, because we have had to write to the Head of the Civil Service on two occasions, to complain about the state of relations between the BSTU and the Ministry of Education,” Redman explained.

“To that extent, I actually spoke with the Head of the Civil Service yesterday, Dr. (Louis) Woodroffe and he is working on ensuring that a meeting does take place, so that we can get outstanding matters, too long outstanding addressed and addressed as expeditiously as possible,” Redman further remarked.

It was in February 2018 that the BSTU, headed by Redman, issued a statement to the media, indicating that the BSTU was not at all happy with the treatment being meted out to Union representatives, by Education Ministry officials.

The BSTU noted at the time, that it was registering “its abhorrence at the level of disrespect and bullying behaviour exhibited to its delegation, by the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (METI), at its Quarterly Meeting on February 6th, 2018”.

Redman, noted that on February 9th, 2018, the Union would have written, for the second time in as many months, to the Head of the Civil Service, to complain about the existing relationship between the METI and the BSTU.

Redman further pointed out that formal reports to CTUSAB on the matter, also prompted their strongly worded press statement on 5th February, 2018, where CTUSAB urged those responsible, to begin to act responsibly in treating to the leadership of Trade Unions and Staff Associations.

As such, going forward, the Union at present is seeking to have a number of concerns in this area addressed and resolved. (RSM)