FTU General Secretary Agni Deo Singh

The Fiji Teachers Union wants the Ministry of Education to pay the teachers their correct salary.

This after some teachers raised their concern with the Union that they were underpaid this week.

FTU General Secretary Agni Deo Singh claims he has been inundated with calls and text messages.

“Some received as little as $5 dollars, some received $32 , some said they received $1.50 . There are numerous cases like that and we believe that there would be about 1000 teachers who have been affected by this short payment.”

Singh says some teachers who enquired with the Ministry were told that there were delays in the renewal of their contracts.

He says this should have been sorted out much earlier.

“Renewal of contract- we have been assured in the past would be done as is required three months before the expiry of the current contract of an officer. If that exercise is done than naturally there would be no stoppage of salary. So the delay in the renewal of contract leads to stoppage of salaries.”

He says a number of teachers will face difficulties in meeting their daily needs and they need an explanation as to what is happening.

Singh confirms that there were no issues with the first pay on 10th January.

He is hoping that the teachers are paid whatever is owed to them as soon as possible.

Meanwhile Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Alison Burchell refused to make any comment when contacted by FBC News.