By RASHA AL QAHTANI
THOUSANDS of teachers demonstrated for the second time in front of the Education Ministry, Isa Town, yesterday to demand a 30 per cent pay rise.
It followed an earlier protest in June and organisers said yesterday’s show of strength was the result of them receiving no response from officials.
If this latest demonstration fails, organisers warned more extreme measures could be taken – such as hunger strikes and protests outside senior government offices including that of the Prime Minister.
Yesterday’s demonstration was spearheaded by the Bahrain Teachers Society (BTS), which approved the move at a meeting last Thursday.
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
THOUSANDS of teachers demonstrated for the second time in front of the Education Ministry, Isa Town, yesterday to demand a 30 per cent pay rise.
It followed an earlier protest in June and organisers said yesterday’s show of strength was the result of them receiving no response from officials.
If this latest demonstration fails, organisers warned more extreme measures could be taken – such as hunger strikes and protests outside senior government offices including that of the Prime Minister.
Yesterday’s demonstration was spearheaded by the Bahrain Teachers Society (BTS), which approved the move at a meeting last Thursday.
Disgruntled
It claimed 4,000 protesters turned out for the demonstration, which started at around 1.30pm and lasted for several hours as disgruntled teachers gathered outside the ministry holding banners, placards and chanting slogans.
“We are demonstrating for the second time because the ministry has not met our demands,” said society vice-president Abdulqahar Al Sakran.
“The ministry has not shown any interest in the teachers’ demands since we started in June.
“We are asking for three main things – a 30pc pay rise, higher salaries and a link between the society and one of the ministry committees dealing with teacher affairs.
“The teachers will be persistent in continuing their demonstrations until they get their rights.
“Our aim is to encourage teachers to ask for their rights.”
“Four thousand is a very good number compared with the first demonstration, in which 3,000 participated.”
He said Bahraini teachers received the lowest salaries in the GCC and complained they had hardly risen in two decades.
“The salaries we are receiving now are nearly the same when we first started 15 or 20 years ago,” he said.
“If the ministry still does not answer or agree to a settlement, the demonstration will only be a preliminary measure.”
Mr Al Sakran said wages paid to government schoolteachers were not enough for them to meet the high costs of living in Bahrain.
“The teachers will wait to see what measures the ministry will take and if nothing is done, we will take other steps,” he said.
Mr Al Sakran met Assistant Under-Secretary for Curricula and Educational Supervision Dr Abdulla Al Mutawa after the demonstration.
Dr Al Mutawa said the ministry had itself been pushing for teachers’ pay increases, but said it was not responsible for setting the salaries.
“The 30pc pay rise which the society is demanding is not the ministry’s specialisation,” he said.
“The ministry does not decide the salaries or increase them, but puts its efforts into improving teachers’ careers and financial standards through the execution of the teachers’ cadre.”
He said that more than 11,000 ministry employees have benefited from phase one, which cost around BD2.5million and achieved “reasonable” salary increases for “thousands of teachers”.
“The ministry is in its second phase of the cadre, which teachers will benefit from and will cost around BD5m,” he added.
“It will lead to a rise in teachers’ salaries and will secure them training, which is the ministry’s and the society’s aim.
“The ministry finds teachers a main partner in the educational process.”
rasha@gdn.com.bh