19 Jul 2007

Solomon Islands teachers considering legal action against government

11:24 am on 19 July 2007

Solomon Islands teachers are considering taking legal action against the government for its failure to implement the scheme of service.

The Solomon Islands National Teachers Association, or SINTA, says the country's 6-thousand teachers will continue their nation-wide strike indefinitely.

The teachers, who started the strike on Monday, say they will remain defiant to any call to return to class until their salary is adjusted according to the government-approved revised scheme of service.

The teachers met on Tuesday to consider the latest proposal on for re-levelling teachers' pay by the Minister of Education.

But SINTA's Johnley Hatimoana says teachers voted unanimously to reject the Minister's proposal.

"They voted to go on striking for an indefinite period. They are actually asking the government to re-level and re-align the remaining teachers which is about less than five thousand teachers. It's part of our resolution that we will be taking legal action if the need arises. But at the moment we are taking it step by step."

SINTA's Johnley Hatimoana.