Honourable Chief Minister/
Minister of Finance
Mr. Hubert Hughes
Ministry of Finance
The Valley
Anguilla
AI-2640
3rd January 2013
Dear Mr. Hughes:
I am writing you out of utter distress and disappointment over your recurring display of total disregard and disrespect for the teachers of this land of Anguilla.
I make haste to enlighten you – no – remind you about the source of our complaint, a complaint which we have been seeking your undivided attention to address as the leader of government business for almost five months now.
In August 2012, the Government of Anguilla undertook an exercise that led to the presentation of a number of options for the payment of monies owed to Civil Servants. Although we were excluded from this exercise in July, 2012, and insultingly so, we took the initiative to organize a meeting in August 2012 with you and your technocrats. We felt that it was critical to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the decisions that would ultimately affect us, and to also register our concerns regarding such. At that meeting, Dr. Aidan Harrigan and Mr. Foster Rogers were on hand to provide information about the proposals and decisions which government had eventually made on behalf of civil servants on the money issue. By the end of the meeting, it was made absolutely clear to all what the position of the Anguilla Teachers’ Union was: we selected Option 3 as the most reasonable of all, but we indicated that we would only agree to a cessation of the deferment date if certain concerns (which arose out of the discussion) were addressed. These we outlined as follows:
1. a statement indicating the amount of monies owed as back pay be issued to members of
2. a beneficiary agreement be made in case of death of a member
3. addressing of the pension issues listed by ACSA
4. legislation in place were needed
These concerns were documented in a letter dated 21st August, 2012. We got no response until three (3) months later, on November 27th, 2012, when we, the ATU, along with the ACSA, Police Association, and the Nurses’ Association were invited to a meeting with you and your team. To my utter dismay, and to that of the other Associations, you had not even come to the table to address our concerns, much less to respond to our letter which was sent whole three months prior. You came bent on telling us what you would like to do, and what you were going to tell the House of Assembly in spite of the Governor’s view.
This meeting was again a sign of utter disrespect. Equally insulting was the Hon. Evan Gumbs’ assertion that he had not seen the documents. At that meeting, we were provided with opinions and pipe dreams and a December 31st cut-off date. Again, not the slightest indication was given that you were prepared to consider our concerns. Blatant disrespect!
Please allow me to remind you that this meeting came on the heels of a statement that your advisor, the Hon. Jerome Roberts, made to the media on behalf of the Government of Anguilla, indicating that the government would begin paying civil servants part of the monies owed to them in the not-too-distant future. This raised the hopes of a number of civil servants on the island, including teachers. At the November meeting, you also made mention of a possible payment in December. However, this hope was soon to be shattered by the seemingly subterfuge and disrespectful approach that you continue to take in dealing with our concerns. We see this as nothing short of emotional molestation. The levels of disappointment among teachers continue to rise and the mind games and insult to our intellect as educators are overbearing.
It is interesting that your office found and or made the time to send out over 750 deferment letters to civil servants, but in four months you have not valued civil servants enough to address our concerns. The attendees at the last meeting saw the need for the beneficiary agreement. But sir, thirty days have passed and nothing has been put in place. Yet, we are hearing that the cut-off date for deferred payment is January 31st, 2013.
Honourable Chief Minister, I have made a number of calls trying to meet with you and or Dr. Harrigan. I have also left my mobile number for a return call, which I have not yet received.
It is obvious that our leaders do not respect or value the educators of this nation nor any civil servant. We have had enough of the disrespect. We will not stand by and allow you to continue to disrespect our profession. We are tired of your fruitless meetings and we are of the impression that you have very little value for us. We have extended the olive branch to you on numerous occasions, even in the face of verbal abuse in the media. Working with us respectfully has the potential to breathe a healthy relationship. However, you, by your actions and or inactions, insist on civil servants following you blindly. We cannot afford to have your disrespect dragged out like the passing of the Education Act.
The Anguilla Teachers Union makes yet another request for concerns itemized above to be addressed in no less than seven days. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Emma Ferguson
President
Anguilla Teachers’ Union
Cc:
Minister of Education
