The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Director Marcellus Taylor said the Department of Labour upheld officials’ decision regarding the reassignments of a handful of teachers at public schools.

The decision comes after Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson accused Mr Taylor of being in breach of the union’s industrial agreement over the matter.

Giving an update yesterday, Mr Taylor indicated: “The Department of Labour made a decision on that – they upheld our decision to (redeploy) six teachers - five from Stephen Dillet and one from Yellow Elder. So protocol was put in place - we follow the protocol.”

He added: “The letters were sent to the lawyer who represents the BUT so they can issue the letters and as far as we (were) aware, they’ve received them. And, you know, in the prescribed time, because they give a certain period of time to make the transition, we would expect them to be at their stations and executing their duties.”

Asked when the ministry hoped the teachers would start their new assignment, the director explained: “I think because based on our industrial agreement, you gotta give them a certain number of days. I think it’s like seven days or something like that. I don’t know the exact date, but I would imagine by the end of this week, or whatever, their time will be up and certainly by next week they should report to work. (I don’t have) the specifics.”

Mr Taylor previously said officials had followed the union’s agreement. According to him, that was eventually determined as well.

“The judgement was based on their review of the case and their review of the case, they would have to look at what we did, and what industrial agreement provides. So it’s not a matter of what they feel, it’s a matter of we follow the industrial agreement and so they said, yes, ‘you did follow the industrial agreement’ and so parties need to follow the decision,” he explained.