The Teachers Association of Maldives (TAM) is organising a ‘black protest’ to draw attention to their issues ahead of a nationwide strike.
TAM President Athif Abdul Hakeem said today that as a protest, teachers will be wearing black to work on 6 April 2014.
“This is the first step, we want to draw attention to these issues. For the sake of our students we will go to work until we exhaust all other ways,” Athif told.
A potential nationwide strike was announced last month citing pay discrepancies and failure to improve the education sector.
According to TAM, the association in January requested for a meeting with the minister of education for discussing their issues, but it has still not been arranged.
“The lack of communication between teachers and the ministry is a serious concern. We have written to the ministry but no actions have been take about these issues.”
Athif said that teachers are still working overtime without being paid for it.
“Independent institutions haven’t noticed this. If they don’t do those work it could be reflected in their appraisal, and they even fear termination. So they work. But without getting paid for the work,” he said.
Teachers’ overtime allowances have been reduced to just five percent of the basic salary, which on average amounts to less than MVR300 per month. But teachers have complained that school will not run without teachers doing overtime work.
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