The Fiji Teachers Union is preparing to go ahead with a strike as their demand for a 30 percent pay increase has not been met following their meeting with the Ministry of Finance on Friday at Ro Lalabalavu House in Suva.
General Secretary, Muniappa Goundar says they perceive the Ministry of Finance's inaction as a deliberate delay tactic to avoid enhancing the terms and conditions for the teachers.
Goundar says the pay rise will prevent teachers from migrating to New Zealand and Australia and also improve their living standards.
He says the meeting was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad that failed to yield any substantive outcomes and it is evident that the members have been overlooked for far too long.
Goundar says this stalemate, resulting from what they see as the final meeting, leaves the FTU firm in its decision to pursue all available avenues to secure the just salary for teachers.
The General Secretary says adequate pay is not just a necessity but a right for teachers who dedicate significant portions of their lives to shaping the future of our children.
Goundar further says the argument that the nation's debt prevents a reasonable salary increase for teachers is indefensible and teachers must no longer suffer such neglect.
He adds the pretense of financial incapacity cannot justify the continued undervaluation of their vital contributions and they are not pleading but firmly demanding the fair salary that has eluded them for the past 17 years.
