~ Brug wants answers ~
PHILIPSBURG--Subsidised schools’ teachers can rest assured that they will soon receive the
one-per-cent increase in vacation allowance which has already been paid out to civil servants, and their colleagues in the public schools.
This assurance was given by Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs in response to the many calls she has been receiving from these teachers. “I have been receiving numerous calls and messages from teachers at the subsidised schools asking about their payment of the 1% vacation allowance,” Gumbs said in a press release.
“I think it’s unfair that knowing that June is when they normally get their vacation allowance that this was not taken into consideration by the previous government. Hence, that is why I am working on making sure that this matter is resolved as soon as possible.”
Given that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) has included this allowance in the budget amendment for 2024, Gumbs said she has decided to explore ways to allocate this payment within the current 2024 budget.
She said it was negligent that the previous government included a 1% increase in vacation allowance for all civil servants, but failed to account for it in the 2024 budget for subsidised schools. She said this oversight also extends to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) paid out in December 2023, which was not included in the 2024 budget for these schools. It appears that teachers in subsidised schools were overlooked.
Gumbs said she finds it particularly unfair that the increased vacation allowance, which was paid out in June 2024, was not paid to these teachers, and that they now must wait for the budget amendment. The law mandates that the vacation allowance should be paid out in June. Therefore, the minister said she is committed to finding a way to disburse the vacation allowance as soon as possible within the parameters of the current 2024 budget.
Brug seeking clarity
In the meantime, Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) Member of Parliament (MP) Richinel Brug is seeking clarity on this matter from the Ministers of Education, Finance, and General Affairs.
Brug in a recent letter to the ministers sought clarity as to the status of the 1% indexation and the 1% vacation allowance owed to subsidised school teachers, and the outstanding 2% indexation owed to civil servants. Brug considers it unfortunate that there has been so much uncertainty on this matter.
“It is disheartening to see that there has been so much confusion surrounding these payments, with various reasons being given for the delay. All teachers and civil servants have been asking for is a clear answer as to when their monies will be paid and if not, what is the reason for this delay. There have been so many (formal and informal) statements made from legislation not being formalized, to monies not being budgeted for, to subsidised teachers not being considered legally similar to public school teachers, etc.”
“I was delighted to read this statement as it debunks all rumours related to non-payment due to the fact that subsidised school teachers are not considered having the same rights as public school teachers. There are several articles in the different education legislations that make this clear. One very specific article that speaks of this similarity in legal position is article 112a, subsections b & c of the LMA, the legislation that regulates the rights of civil servants. However, the lingering question remains - when will these teachers and civil servants receive their rightful payments? When will the budget be amended? Will it be before the start of the school year, as extra cash for vacation expenses, or after a new government is installed? I hope these concerns raised are addressed promptly by the relevant authorities,” Brug said in a press release.
