Union slams minister

THE Fiji Teachers Union says it was not involved in the consultation process for the regularisation of teachers in acting posts.

FTU general secretary Munniapa Goundar claimed they met Minister for Education Viliame Gavoka and his permanent secretary, Selina Kuruleca, once on January 29 when the union was informed about the regularisation of heads of schools who had been sitting on acting posts for a while.

“As the general secretary of Fiji Teachers Union, I vehemently deny and reject the recent statement made by the honourable Minister for Education Viliame Gavoka regarding the alleged collaboration and partnership with teacher unions in the regularisation process,” said Mr Goundar.

“Contrary to the minister’s claims, the Fiji Teachers Union wishes to clarify that there has been no consensus or agreement reached between the union and the ministry during the meeting held on January 29, 2024.

“As the general secretary, I categorically rejected the proposed regularisation process, citing numerous shortcomings that render the entire process undemocratic, unconstitutional and detrimental to the interests of our esteemed teachers.”

He said it was important for the public to be accurately informed that the union stance on the process remained unchanged.

“We express our deep concern over the misrepresentation of facts by the honourable minister.

“The statement made by the minister, expressing appreciation for collaboration and positive discussions, is completely misleading and does not reflect the reality of the union’s position.”

Mr Goundar added that FTU’s meeting with the minister and Ms Kuruleca in January was the first- and last-time engagement with the ministry regarding the matter.

“Any statement suggesting otherwise is false and misleading. “We call upon the ministry to rectify this misinformation promptly and uphold the principles of transparency and honesty.

“Fiji Teachers Union stands firm in its commitment to protecting the rights and interests of its members, and we will continue to object to any breach of the principles of good faith and collective bargaining.”

Questions sent to Mr Gavoka and Ms Kuruleca remained unanswered.