On Friday, 2 November 2018, many public school teachers went on strike complaining they had not been paid so far this school year. The Dominican Association of Contracted Teachers (Adomaco) complained that some of their members had been working on a contract basis for several years with no social security benefits or Christmas bonuses.
There are around 8,000 teachers who work on a contract basis being paid RD$20,000 per month for the extended school day and RD$10,000 for just half a day. According to some of these teachers, they have been threatened with dismissal by the district authorities if they do not go to work, even though they have not been paid.
The president elect of the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP), Xiomara Guante criticized the delays in payments and the practice of the Ministry of Education (Minerd) hiring teachers on a contract basis to save money as their salaries are less than half of those who have a fixed position. She also criticized the fact they do not have medical insurance so if and when they are sick they are fired. In addition many are never paid or paid late. All of these irregularities are affecting students, and she called for the Ministry to solve this, what she called abusive situation.
Education Minister Andrés Navarro, refused to respond saying “we will discuss this at another time”.
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Hoy
6 November 2018
