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Posted: Thursday 27 February, 2014 at 1:42 PM

SKTU President Remarks Reference Resurgence of Hazardous Conditions at the Basseterre High School

By: SKTU, Press Release

    Fellow Teachers, Students, Parents, citizens, Brothers and sisters, Good day.

     

    BASSETERRE St. Kitts, February 27th, 2014  --  Today we find ourselves again battling unfortunate and troubling issues at the Basseterre High School. Students and teachers are concerned with conditions that may have given rise to various illnesses being experienced again. We are also concerned with the response or lack of response to our cries for help, for dialogue, for remedial action to effective address our concerns.

    Many would have heard the remarks made by Senator Nigel Carty on Wednesday 27th February, 2014. The St Kitts Teachers’ Union dismisses his address and simply labels it as simply SAD. Yes fellow citizens it is SAD. It is sad that after having gone through our recent ordeal with the said senator and other Ministry officials to force actions to address health and safety conditions at the Basseterre High School, we are again seeing the same response.
     
    It is sad because his response is a purposeful politicizing of our health issues. It is sad because it does not address, in any meaningful way, the many reports by teachers and students of the illnesses being experienced. It is sad because on receiving false reports and rumours of what transpired at a meeting of the SKTU with teachers at the BHS, the Senator, who has responsibility for the Ministry of Education, initial response and only response has been the diarrhea of insulting words and the vomiting of personal attacks.

    The attack on Dr Thelma Phillip-Browne has absolutely no substance or merit. Her service to our teachers and students in this matter has been one of excellence with the manifestation of integrity and highest possible professional behaviour and conduct. There is nothing to defend in his statement. The accusations are unfounded, baseless, and highly misleading. And we ask our citizens to see the address for what it really was and dismiss it in its entirety. It is SAD.

    Now let us get, to the real matter. The St Kitts Teachers’ Union believes that our teachers’ Working Conditions are catalysts for student learning. The conditions in which teachers work matter a great deal to them and, ultimately, to their students. Further, it is a fact that teachers’ Working Conditions are Student Learning Conditions.

    The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) primary goal is to promote opportunities for workers to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. In this formulation of decent work in the context of ILO action, the protection of workers against work-related sickness, disease and injury, as embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of the ILO, is an essential element of security and continues to be a high priority for the ILO.

    The UNICEF’s Child-Friendly School (CFS) model is about schools operating in the best interests of the child. Child friendly schools are school whose environment are safe, healthy and protective.

    As the global union federation representing teachers and education workers worldwide, Education International defends the rights and status of the teaching profession. The St Kitts Teachers’ Union is a founding member of this august body. The UNESCO-ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers adopted in 1966 has essentially served as a charter of rights for teachers worldwide. These recommendations speak to the rights of teachers.

    They speak to our right to be heard and for our representations to be heard on our working conditions. The ILO / UNESCO Recommendations Concerning the Status of Teachers: states 109. Authorities should ensure that school premises are properly maintained, so as not to threaten in any way the health and safety of pupils and teachers. The ILO Constitution sets forth the principle that workers should be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment. Yet for many teachers and students at the Basseterre High School the reality is very different.

    The suffering caused by illnesses to teachers, students, and their families is incalculable. Yet, we submit, they are preventable through the implementation of sound prevention, reporting and inspection practices. ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide essential tools for employers, and workers to establish such practices and to provide for maximum safety at work. By all standards, Employers are also required to consult with all employees and their representatives on health and safety matter. This is especially important as the employee is often best placed to advice on control measures that are needed. The employer must consult and work in cooperation with trade union and employees when developing health and safety arrangements.

    Fellow citizens, we are in receipt of reports and complaints, not from five teachers but from some twenty teachers of various illnesses being experienced by them. Teachers and students alike have complained about such ailments as vertigo, persistent headaches, facial and upper torso rashes, bronchial infections, chest pains, continuous coughing, rashes on face and lips, burning on hand face and upper back, sore throat, inability to breathe well, nausea etc. Some teachers and students alike, who were not at the Basseterre High School at the genesis of these health problems are also complaining of the same issues.

    The St Kitts Teachers’ Union is in receipt of copies of letter which sent to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and also to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). These letters, which were both copied to the Teachers’ Union, clearly sought to bring to the attention of the relevant authorities the possibilities of “resurgence of hazardous conditions at the Western Campus of the BHS” The letter to the CMO was dated November 16, 2013.

    The same letter to the CMO, written by Dr Thelma Phillip-Browne-SKTU Medical Advisor in this matter, also stated “You may recall that our recommendation called for a re-examination by CARRIRi prior to any re-occupation of the school. I suggested that this recommendation be followed ASAP in order to dispel any concerns and in the best interest of the health of the staff and students. I believe any other decision in light of the prevailing circumstances can only be construed as negligence particularly in light of the fact that restoration of such an infected sight would have required gutting of ALL POROUS and SEMI-POROUS material.”

    As directed by the St Kitts Teachers’ Union, I, Ron Dublin-Collins in my capacity as President of St Kitts Teachers’ Union, wrote to the Minister of Education on January 20th, 2014: stating:

    I write to request an urgent meeting with you to represent concerns, recent reports and complaints ref alleged health and safety conditions at the Basseterre High School. Mr. Carty, we are in receipt for letters from teachers and reports for medical officials that give rise to serious concerns about matters raised therein.

    Mr. Minister, we therefore seek an audience with you to seek to address these concerns and thus ensure the health and safety of our committed teachers. We are aware of the efforts made by your government to correct problems previously raised. We are also concerned as to the level of implementation of the recommendations CARRIRI Report. At our last meeting, you committed to allow the Review Panel (including our representative) to continue its work and all stakeholders to be kept up to date.

    It is worthy to note that the CARRIRI team has not returned as was promised. The SKTU has learnt that many of the recommendations of the CARRIRI Report have not been implemented. And to date the Senator Nigel Carty has not in any way responded to the request for dialogue with the St Kitts Teachers’ Union.

    The SKTU held a meeting with its teachers. It was not a secret. Our objectives were to seek to bring resolution to this reoccurring problem. We have resolved to bring our concerns to the attention of other relevant authorities and to seek assistance from relevant regional and international organizations. The SKTU is a professional organization. As a trade union also, we have a responsibility for the welfare of our members. We call on the authorities here in St Kitts to rise above petty differences, above party politics and let us work together to resolve our problems. We call on our fellow citizens to resist the rhetoric that seeks to divide us and distract us from the real issues, to allow our conscience to be our guide, and to reject the utter nonsense that is being promoted suggesting that our Children’s education is under threat from our hard working teachers.

    Let us remember, it is the same teachers who rose to the challenge and gave entered a shift system working from early morning to in the evenings daily. The results of our commitment were praise when examination results supported the view that our teachers gave of themselves. The St Kitts Teachers Union stand ready to work with MOE, parents, and the wider community to bring well needed resolution to our existing dilemma. However, if all efforts to continue to be ignored, it is the St Kitts Teachers Union in collaboration with our Teachers at the Basseterre who will decide on any course of action, not any individual. We call on our citizens at home and abroad to support the Teachers, Students and Parents in our efforts to resolve these existing problems.

    Fellow citizens, we are tired of the uncaring and heartless words. We are tired and frustrated over fruitless talk. We are distrustful of individuals who seek not to understand the health issues in this matter. Let us just fix the problem and move on.

    “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phillipans 4:8

    God Bless Us All and Give Us the Courage to Stand during these dark and troubling days.

    I Thank You
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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