By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
SCHOOL board workers in Grand Bahama are frustrated about not receiving a government stipend for hurricane relief, which has been extended to all public sector workers in Grand Bahama and Abaco.
In September it was announced that all government employees would get a $1,000 stipend for all government workers affected by Hurricane Dorian on Abaco and Grand Bahama. Government workers will also get a $1,400 lump sum this month.
Yesterday, school board workers contacted The Tribune to express their concerns about being excluded.
“We feel bad about it because we were also affected by the hurricane and we also need assistance just like everyone else; this is bothering plenty of us,” said a school board worker who asked to remain anonymous.
According to the worker, there are about 30 to 40 school board workers on Grand Bahama, many of whom were affected by the storm.
“We have lost possessions and also sustained damage to our homes, so why shouldn’t we also get the same assistance as those government contract workers here and in Abaco?” the worker asked.
The Tribune contacted the Ministry of Education yesterday and spoke with District Superintendent Yvonne Ward.
Mrs Ward explained that education officials had submitted the names of all their employees, as well as those of every school board worker to the government to receive the funds.
She said the ministry was trying to get the funds for them initially. “They are not like teachers who are hired by the Ministry of Education. School board workers are hired by the school board, which is separate from the ministry, and the school board would have to see if they can get the money for them,” she explained.
Superintendent Ward feels that they should not be excluded. “We are still trying to see what we can do, and I contacted the permanent secretary who said they are trying to work it out,” she said.
According to an official in the ministry’s human resources department, the issue is that school board workers are not employed by the government and do not have an employee number.
“They are not government employees even though they are getting a salary from the (Public) Treasury,” said the official.
She noted that like private institutions, requests are made for stipends from the government and the funds are used by the institutions for whatever they need.
“Each school board gets a stipend and the board hires people they would need. We have requested that money (hurricane relief money) for them, but whether government approves it is not up to us,” she said.
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