PM Skerrit: Government will work with all parties to resolve DSC lecturers, staff issue

Roseau: Dominica State College lecturers and other staff members started strike action on Monday, seeking an increase in remuneration and good working conditions. Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, said that his government would work with all parties to resolve this issue on a special programme on DBS radio on May 12.

Prime Minister said, “I was a lecturer at the college many years ago, and I have also been a secondary school teacher. And my priority has always been the well-being and welfare of the students.” He said that this is unfortunate that lecturers are protesting when there is no dispute.

PM stated that the new Dominica State College Board would be appointed with new members in place to regulate the work so that issues like these do not occur in the future. “All the lecturers and staff members have genuine concerns,” he said, that there is an approach to bring the attention of the authorities, Dominica State College is a statutory entity and has its own independence, and the government has certain oversights of the State College under Ministry of Education. “If there is a concern, there is a mechanism to bring those forward.” He said that there is a process for everything in the law.

The government is providing a considerable amount of money to Dominica State College for functioning. PM said that the government has appointed officials from the cabinet to deal with issues faced by lecturers, and the designated authority will meet the union leader to resolve the issues raised by protestors. “I have directed the secretary of the Cabinet to deal with all administrative matters.”

One of the issues was the payments by the college; PM said that it would be facilitated. Still, the other issue is they have to bring this college into better financial management because they keep increasing the wage bill with no reference to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance.

According to PM Skerrit, the budget for DSC was $6 million, which they increased in excess of $7 million without any reference. “We will work with all parties to resolve this issue.”

Criticising the approach and time of protests, the Prime Minister said that the lecturers and other staff members have initiated industrial protest during the students' exam period, which might end up compromising the entire semester of the students.