The impasse featuring the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the Principal of Alexandra School, Mr. Jeff Broomes can only be characterized as a comedy of errors or rather a tragedy of incompetence on the part of the Ministry of Education and the Personnel Administration Division. Before I proceed, let me state that I am firmly behind the BSTU. Nonetheless, I will endeavour to be fair to all sides.
The BSTU is one of the oldest trade unions in Barbados, with a proud history of achievements on behalf of its members. In the recent past, it has been overshadowed by the younger and more partisan political Barbados Union of Teachers whose main achievements, in its relatively short history, seems to be positioning its executive officers for higher office in the Ministry of Education and now in Government. But for its constant wrangling with Jeff Broomes, the BSTU goes about its business, almost unnoticed by the public, in a calm and dignified manner.
On the other hand, Mr. Broomes, who has been able to mount a façade of caring for the children in his charge, continues to provoke controversy whenever he is out of the limelight for any extended period. He usually catapults himself to national notice by making statements that are calculated to be controversial, and then he invites reaction by saying things like, “Bring it on!” Rather than keep quiet in order to avoid an escalation of the current episode, he allowed himself to be quoted in the Nation saying that he would do it again. He is aware of what transpired when he made the offending statement the first time. Why would he do it again if not to enflame passions and call attention to himself? However, while he is basking in all the attention that he is receiving, the children that he loves and cares so much about that should be his focus are going without instruction at this crucial juncture.
Despite my criticism of Jeff Broomes, he is not totally at fault. The saga starring Uncle Jeff has been allowed to fester for far too long while the agencies of Government that are responsible discipline sat on their hands to the detriment of the students, and also to the detriment of the teachers’ health. If the Ministry of Education and the Personnel Administration had administered a little medicine in the early stages of this problem, there would be no reason to require radical surgery to remove this gangrenous limb of the education system.
Now that the long suffering teachers have declared that they are no longer prepared to endure Broomes’ brand of management and the ministry’s lethargy, they are being abused due in part to the fact that the media refuse to fairly put their side. Teachers at Alexandra have every right to protect themselves since no one else seems to be doing it. Even the police appeared to side with Broomes and prevented the union from marching by exercising power that they do not have. Union marches, funerals and marches by the Barbados Regiment are exempted from the provisions of the Public Order Act. Put simply, the Police have no authority to prevent a union march. Teachers have opted to withdraw their labour as is their right under the provisions of the Trade Union Act. Some overzealous commentators have even called for the dismissal of the striking teachers. Would they like it if they were dismissed for standing up for their rights? They should be aware that they are calling on the authorities to commit a criminal act. Section 40A of the Trade Union Act states:
40A. An employer who –
(a) dismisses a workman or adversely affects the employment or alters the position of a workman to his prejudice because that workman –
(i) is or proposes to become an officer, delegate or member of a trade union,
(ii) being a member of a trade union which is seeking better labour conditions, is dissatisfied with his conditions.
(iii) has absented himself from work without leave after he has made an application for leave for the purpose of carrying out his duties or exercising his rights as an officer or delegate of a trade union and such leave has unreasonably been refused or withheld, or
(iv) takes part in trade union activities outside or, with the consent of the employer, within working hours: or
(b) threatens to dismiss a workman or to adversely affect the employment or alter the position of a workman to his prejudice –
(i) because that workman is or proposes to become an officer, delegate or member of a trade union or other combination which has applied to be registered as a trade union, or
(ii) with intent to dissuade or prevent that workman from becoming an officer, delegate or member of a trade union.
is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
The normally docile teachers at Alexandra School have been extremely slow to anger but having reached that point. They are resolute in their stance and have determined, come what may, they are no longer working with Jeff Broomes. The lambs have roared.
The ball is now in the court of the Ministry of Education and the Personnel Administration Division. They have several options to bring closure to this mess, namely:
-
They can transfer all the teachers involved and send a new set to Alexandra to be demoralized;
-
They can transfer Broomes but since he is appointed as Principal of Alexandra, he would have to consent to any such transfer; or
-
Broomes could be retired from the Teaching Service in accordance with the provisions of section 8(1) of the Pensions Act where an officer can be retired, “on becoming unfit in the opinion of the Governor-General, for the discharge of the duties of his office, though not suffering from any particular illness or infirmity likely to be permanent…”
No more excuses, no more political interference in the Teaching Service. The children at Alexandra School deserve much better, and the teachers need some much deserved relief so that they can once again concentrate on teaching.
340 responses to “Alexandra School Impasse: A Massive Failure Of Public Service Administration”
Blogger 2012
I left home after 11:00 today and have only recently returned to find that you are once again misleading the people on this blog with your half truths and cursory knowledge , or rather cusory understanding of things that you read or heard.
The grievance handling procedure was agreed between the Government and NUPW in 1972. It was hardly ever used, but it was enacted in the Public Service Act with effect from December 31, 2007. Even so, the senior officers to whom matters are referred do not even acknowledge receipt of the grievance. In most cases officers are not aware of the existence of the procedure. Presently I am involved in a matter that has been referred to the PS, Ministry of Education, at first instance since he is the immediate supervisor of the person involved. The hand-delivered correspondence has not even been acknowledged for a month.
For those of you who are interested I have copied and pasted section 12 of the Public Service Act and the Grievance Handling Procedure.
David, if you are interested I can send you a soft copy of the Public Service Act: it is too much to copy and paste.
12. (1) Where an officer or employee is aggrieved by any action or decision of
(a) a person appointed by the Commission who has or who had supervisory powers over that person;
(b) a person other than a person referred to in paragraph (a) who has supervisory powers in respect of the employment of that person; or
(c) a fellow employee,
the officer or employee may invoke the procedure with respect to grievance handling that is set out if the Fourth Schedule.
(2) An officer or employee referred to in subsection (1) may, in place of the procedure specified in subsection (1), seek the process of alternative dispute resolution.
(3) In this section,
(a) “grievance” includes a complaint regarding the alleged violation of
(i) the provisions of any agreement between a trade union or any other body authorized to represent an officer or employee in respect of employment matters;
(ii) the rules or regulations or any conventions applicable to the category of officers to which that person belongs;
(iii) the principles of natural justice; or
(iv) the dignity of the human person; and
(b) “alternative dispute resolution” includes conciliation, mediation or any other method of dispute resolution.
FOURTH SCHEDULE
(Section 12(1))
Grievance Handling Procedure
1. The procedure for handling grievances is as follows but may be varied where the union and the Government agree to do so:
(a) the aggrieved officer or employee, the shop steward of the union that represents the officer or employee and the supervisory officer of the officer or employee may seek to resolve the grievance within 3 working days after the grievance has been reported;
(b) where there is no resolution of the matter in accordance with sub-paragraph (a), the aggrieved officer or employee may, in writing, appeal to the Permanent Secretary assigned to the ministry or department within which the office to which the aggrieved officer or employee is appointed falls, to determine the matter within 7 days of the date when the matter reaches the Permanent Secretary;
(c) where the union representing the worker is dissatisfied with the decision of the Permanent Secretary made pursuant to sub-paragraph to (b), the aggrieved officer or employee may so inform the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Civil Service or the Chief Personnel Officer, in writing, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Civil Service or the Chief Personnel Officer shall determine the matter within 10 days;
(a) where the aggrieved officer or employee is dissatisfied with the decision made pursuant to paragraph (c), he may, within 10 working days of that decision, appeal to the Head of the Public Service;
(b) where the decision made by the Head of the Public Service is not accepted, the union may declare that a dispute exists.
2. For the purposes of this Schedule “union” means the trade union or other body authorized to represent an officer or employee in respect of employment matters.
WHY is it that when you try to chastise errant workers you get cussed by them and their so-called friends just like how these teachers and friends are cussing Broomes??
WHY is it that certain workers want to break all the rules, do their own thing their own way and nobody can tell them anything?
WHY is it that if they are wrong , they get real vex if you attempt to tell them anything ???
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY ???
DO people realise that you just cant tell(chastise) anybody (including children) and worse yet -Adults anything about their behaviour???
WHY dont you try telling any person between the age of 9 and 99 anything and see if they dont cuss yuh blind ??
CANT you see that this is the reality ?
@Caswell
Fell free to email and a link will be provided.
I NOW COME BACK
WAIT BROOMES GET HE MONEY YET ?
I DID DOING HOMEWORK…..FA WHAT DOA..CUZ MONDA ..NA SCHOOL
THEM TEACHERS GINE B 2 TIRED
Denis Clarke and Walter Maloney should resign from NUPW. There are many workers who have grievances to be dealt with .But they have to wait until May. Yet he runs to the defense of Jeff Brome. As a NUPW MEMBER I feel a sense of shame to see that workers are on the picket line fighting for their rights and these two clowns have made statements calculated to harm the cause of these teachers. By their actions they are a disgrace to the labor movement. If not for my belief in the principles of trade unionism I would have left NUPW long ago. They, Clarke and his side kick do not inspire.
Quoting Observing at 7:43 p.m. “Barbados does not have enough real leaders with big enough balls ”
Wrong. Balls are delicate little things, easily injured.
Vaginas now. The are made of the tough stuff.
Vaginas can deliver a 10 pound baby today (or two 6 pounders; or three 4 pounders) and walk out of the hospital next day cool cool so.
Try asking ANYDOBY with balls to do that.
Barbados needs more tough vaginas
@Caswell
nothing u have written is not known to me, has the BSTU did what it was supposed to do the laws are availble on line. I dont conveniently pick out what is popular or join any band wagn Mr. Franklyn
Did the BSTu invoke ADR
LOLLL LMAO…Random thoughts….”Balls are delicate little things, easily injured.” “Vaginas now. The are made of the tough stuff.”
“Vaginas can deliver a 10 pound baby today (or two 6 pounders; or three 4 pounders) and walk out of the hospital next day cool cool so.”
Random people like SCOUT and BT would do anything to dispute this. dem hate tough vaginas, I have a feeling dem came through de back door!
Quoting Scout “The Ax students were not bad behaved, Ms Thompson was annoyed because she said it was dangerous for the girls to walk at that time of the evening/night. ”
Ok Scout study ya head ’cause ya ani’t an excited teenaged boy anymore.
Hundreds of school children decide to walk along the busiess road in the country at dusk time. The road has NO SIDEWALKS. They do this without permission and without notice to those whose job it is to regulate traffic. They delay traffic and put themselves and all motorists at significant risk.
If this is not bad behaviur Scout, pray tell me what is?
Ms. Thompson was right.
The children were wrong.
If you were one of the bad behaved children you were wrong, time to accept that you were foolish.
Quoting Keith Howard | January 14, 2012 at 9:11 PM | “I NOW COME BACK
WAIT BROOMES GET HE MONEY YET ?”
Man Keith Broomisie don’t need the money. You forget already that just a few years ago it was in th paper that Broomsie fadda win de lotto, and since den de oled man ded. I went to the funeral and I can say for sure that he didn’t tek’ de money wid he.
Money what.
De Minister got to leave the tax payers money in the Treasury.
@Keith
your brain is as b[g as a mosquito
Heard through the grapevine that the meeting today (Jones, ME advisors, Broomes, BSTU reps) did not reach a conclusion – Immovable object meets irresistible force – Seems that the heavy artillery (FS) with access to greater resources than Jones might be called out soon.
@@Blogger
IF your mosquito is12.5cm x 16.0345 cm….google it lol
What is all dis WATLESS NASTY talk Isld gal and Random
bringiing in hay doa…..
There seems to be no clear evidence of indiscretions committed by Broomes or the teachers.
Can any of them be fired ?
The Advocate is also reporting the meeting ended without a solution.
@Random thoughts
Lordie, thanks for that one. I’ll look at vaginas differently and with more focus from now.
@CheckitOut
No one has any artillery in this matter that doesn’t provide a massive backlash when used….I wait with bated breath to see what happens when it reaches the desk of FS….all recent political history considered.
@Blogger2012
The union did “invoke” ADR (although very sneakingly so without stating that that’s what they were doing). They did this after the Ministry sought to deal with the speech day matter as a grievance and the meeting with the BSTU as the start of the process. The BSTU, knowing this would get them nowhere, and could not be prosecuted as a separate issue, recoiled and regrouped under FROST and went for clause #2 (ADR) as their line of attack..
The question I’ll ask for the third time though…does withdrawal of labour and demand for a singular ultimatum to be met constitute dispute resolution? either by law, tradition, practice or precedent?
Random Thoughts
You said that Barbados needs more though vaginas. I was starting to agree with you, and then I remembered that it was someone with one of those tough vaginas that put Broomes in the job in the first place. Never mind that the person refuses to use that tough vagina for the intended purpose, preferring instead to strap on their equipment.
Caswell “the person refuses to use that tough vagina for the intended purpose, preferring instead to strap on their equipment.”
Anyone who does this is not a real woman, and therefore not really tough
If I were the PM I would send the teachers back to work, make the deputy act as Headmaster and send Broomes on paid leave until a long term solution is found.
But I could never be a PM because I do not have the patience to let problems solve themselves.
Here is that link to the Public Service Act promised by CAswell.
@ David
With respect. Was Bonny Pepper Desmond Bourne?
@BAFBFP
BU never discusses the identity of commenters 🙂
@Caswell
well well well
stick and move, stick and move, dodge in between. I tell ya.
night night all.
To Observing | January 14, 2012 at 4:27 PM | and The Scout
You two obviously are not aware of the facts. I state categorically that The Scout should stop pitching tents in sand. You are confusing two different persons at AX:
:
1 – The teacher Broomes attacked did NOT refuse to teach a class for a whole year/term – the class was not hers and could not be assigned to her; she was teaching another, different class at the same time. Can you teach two different subjects to different age groups at the same time? If your 1st form child came home and said “mum, my English teacher is teaching me at the same time she is teaching 5th form french” would you not have every reason to wonder what kind of drunkard is running the school???.
In fact, the class was assigned to a teacher who was neither qualified or competent in the subject, but qualified to live with Broomes and kiss him up when they thought the children could not see. I know this because she told the students this in February last year – and stopped coming to the class thereafter when they said they were not interested in learning from the internet as she proposed. The teacher Broomes attacked was on leave until April. She could not be teaching the children then for that reason either. When she returned, the class was still not assigned to her and could not be as she was teaching her maximum load allowed under the law. Despite this, the incompetent teacher was still not going to the class and Broomes was doing absolutely nothing about it. Ask the parents of children in that class what really went on if you doubt me. I am ashamed that they are so silent about the truth. Many of them though have transferred their children to other schools. Few of those parents went to the PTA meeting because they already realised it was a staged meeting like Hitler’s mock trials. Remember in the minds of the Nazis and millions of Jews Hitler was above reproach and cared about them and their children. – that is why he used them for his own selfish, maniacal ambitions and got millions killed in a senseless war. The only three things that differentiate Broomes from Hitler: Broomes is not half as smart as Hitler was. Broomes won’t do the noble thing and commit suicide, and that Hitler was not a drunkard.
2 – Knowing the facts above, Broomes realised (as usual) that he was wrong and I find it most interesting that racky Broomes – protector of all children, their buddy and loving father – did not refer the alleged insubordination to anyone at the MOE for a whole year or seek to discipline a teacher who does not teach a class assigned to her. Her husband does not even work in the area that deals with staff indiscipline so he could not protect her if he wanted to. Scout seems so obsessed with her husband it causes me to wonder if Scout pitches tents on other people’s property. All the parents know is that their children were going to school and had no teacher. The children knew fully well that the teacher Broomes slandered could not be their teacher because she was otherwise timetabled. This speaks to Broomes’ incompetence more than anything else; and incompetence is more than enough reason to be dismissed from the public service. There are other reasons such as being at work drunk, using abusive language on the premises, cursing staff and students, taking unauthorised leave (including going to watch cricket matches overseas without MOE’s knowledge or approval), misusing public property to teach lessons for a fee on weekends, bring persons of the streets to have sex with on government property during working hours and even in the dead of night. I wonder how many of these the holy infractions Jeff Broomes has broken. Why don’t you ask Griffith-Watson why she referred to him as a “spoilt child who refuses to obey”. Ask the former night watchman Mr. Cato why Jeff Broomes is so busy working all hours of the night and weekends in his office with a secretary that no one on staff at the school knows about.
3 – As trotty rightly said, Broomes attacked an employee at a public event where she could not reply and where he could whip up support from persons who did not know what was going. I would be the first to support Broomes in disciplining any teacher so ignorant and cruel to refuse to teach a class, but Broomes knew that was not the case and used the opportunity to turn people against the teacher. The same Broomes, against the advice of the then Head of department, timetabled himself to teach CXC classes when he first came to the school in 2002 as Principal (knowing that he was never before after teaching for over 25 years given any CXC class to teach – you must wonder why his superiors found him so incompetent) and refused to go to those children. The same striking teachers taught those children that Broomes neglected during their lunch hours and after school for free.
4 – Broomes applied for Chief and Deputy Chief Education Officer and was laughed out of the interviewing room by the same CPO and Ministry officials who are too scared to discipline him now. They wanted to know if he wanted to transfer his misbehaviour from St. Lucy (1970s to 1990s), St. James (1990s), St. Michael’s (late 1990s to 2002) and Alexandra (2002 to present) to the administration of education in the country.
5 – At staff meetings Broomes publicly attacked the same teacher when her husband (the principal at Alleyne School) was invited to act in the same post Broomes applied for and could not get because of his well known misbehaviour. Broomes resorted to his age old tricks of telling lies and assassinating their characters and victimising the woman who was dumb enough to tolerate it in silence for nearly two full years.
6 – RE “why are the parents clamouring for them to come back”. You would have to tell me. I have a verbatim copy of the PTA document. The parents want the striking teachers to come back and teach their children BUT they also want Jeff Broomes. If the teachers were so bad, and Broomes so good, why did they not ask for brand new or different teachers?? Obviously Observer must know cause I don’t.
6 – The teacher Broomes attacked has never applied for the post of Principal. You are confusing her with the Deputy Principal who applied for the job the same times Broomes did. Don’t talk crap about who did a bad interview – not everyone is as silly as you are – of hers was so bad why was she offered principalships at other places????
7 – “the interviewers were obviously professional people and they gave the job to the person who marketed themselves best”
That might be why so many egotistical, incompetent square pegs are in administrative round holes in Barbados. Fortunately you wont get any senior post because you can’t even market yourself on a blog, ha ha ha. You are such an idiot. No interviews were held for Principal since her husband went to the MOE, so how could she or anyone believe being married to someone at the MOE (who is acting) could give them a job. Do not try shooting people down when your gunpowder is wet, Scout. Stick to roasting marshmallows – they are as soggy and full of air as you are.
SCOUT- take that you, Broome(Labour Traitors ,Denis Clarke and Walter maloney )
QUESTION : what is common in the Broome ,Clarke,Maloney situation ? They all like to work late at nights -ask the Watchmen ,drunkers ,tell more lies and breach all RULES , Denis/ Walter tell us about the CPO , who walkes with who , who friend she is and who relates all union decisions to her –may be we will get more information about the supercession with the Health Inspectors or should we wait on the out come of the court case which you Denis and walter were trying to prevent —by the way which empoyee of the government Information Service has an Office/Studio at the NUPW pays no rent to nupw but does his private work there –ask IAN inniss -ALL traitors to the labour movement .
@A teacher AND AX parent who knows
You just executed a hachet job on Jeff Broomes. A blog is a great vehicle for character assassination and you have used it while hiding behind a wall of anonymity.
BU bloggers are waiting for evidence which we hope will made public by the PM or MOE.
AXTeacher @ scout
Girl you ent ez fa trute…..that one ya fire (above) @ Scout ..REAL LONG and got meat
Finally the mosquito >>>>>get dissect
Scout we waiting to hear from you dawg…
observing your comment suggests that you are not even aware of your history. at least those charged with certain responsibilities seem to understand the gravity of the situation for all concerned and the merit in my earlier comment that it should now be settled at prime ministerial level because the horse has long gotten out of the stable. on another note, i read in barbados today that the nupw has been invited to a meeting at the ministry. according to mr franklyn mr carke and mr maloney seem tobe representing mr broomes in a personal capacity without the knowledge of council. which faction of the nupw would be attending the meeting with the ministry and who would be representing whom? seem we are injecting another comedy of errors into an already volatile situation.
IF I did Broomzie….I wud be asking the tellers at the Banks for nuff plastic money bags..cuz I know……SOON.
I GINE B GIVING OUT NUFF GIFTS
@Keith
Now yuh understand why i made SCOUT D BLINDMAN
Minister Jones has FAILED to reach an agreement with the BSTU and now it looks like this problem might end at at the doorstep of The PM. judging from the PM response to voiltile issues of such a nature one can only hope with baited breath that the PM would take a stand and as he has done on previous occasion not openly protect his friends against the RIGHTS of The People. This issue indeed is going to be hard for those in high places to reolved as this is apparently clear that the fusion of goodfriendship and the Rights of ordinary citizens have collided. Now the job for the BSTU is to remain ever so strident as this may be the only way out for the MOE to get out of the debacle it finds itself in with a sense of decency and a way forward.
@ac
We dun kno how Scout ….PUT in hay to ROLL….is just the newcomers
and they also could SEE…..
Scout one money bag or two ?
On another Note some what relevant to vagina’s. If the question poised to David by BAF in reference to Bonny is True. I cannot help but reflect and LOL on the many BU men who could wait to wait to get a piece of the action. Wuhloss Truth is stranger than fiction. At this POINT i will paused for a moment of silence
@A teacher AND AX parent who knows
Interesting, like Hants suggested it would be wonderful if you could shoot BU an email if you corroborating facts.
The second icon on the right from the top will lead you to BIU’s email address.
The facts have been laid out in hundreds (I actually mean hundreds) of letters of complaint to the MOE and Civil Service re Broomes’ behaviour over the years. Some were sent by lawyers, ALL unions, including the NUPW and even members of the clergy asking for Broomes to stop harassing teachers, parents, pupils, other staff, people that live near to the school. Not only are the teachers runnning away from him, or the dog, but the monkeys that used to lime on the paling above the school’s car park have disappeared too. The man is toxic.
By the way, I hope Dennis Clarke and Mamoney can list how many persons have left the NUPW from AX and other schools since these sick leave men came out to bat for a fellow rummy (16 and counting).
Barbados society is made up of incestuous relationships. From time to time there will be family feuds. This time it has enveloped the whole country and will have a serious backlash on the youth, the economy, the political parties and the image this sends to the rest of the world.
We have become an undisciplined nation where anything and everything goes. Simple regulations are ignored daily, look around us and see the telling examples of a society that is slowly imploding. Our lack of will to solve pressing issues because of those incestuous relationships is very evident.
The momentum on the slide downward has increased. The leaders have thrown their hand in the air while the citizens verbally fight each other.
Most what AX said if true could not have occurred if MR> Broomes didn’t have his tentacles wrapped around the people WE VOTED for past and present administration knowing that any complaints lodged against HIM would fall on deaf ears. This quadmire which the country finds itself in should be an eyeopener and also and opening for the citizens to finally break the BONDS of Friendship and government which lives within the belly of the BEAST. BSTU is on the right track and must not be derailed by the politics of insensitivity and continous corruption. The TIME is now.
@Bromsey
D public opinion in hay this morning SWINGING…. against you FAST
Go and wake up Scoutie and Random quik!
Keith Howard | January 14, 2012 at 10:34 PM |
What is all dis WATLESS NASTY talk Isld gal and Random
bringiing in hay doa…..
Keith you are funny yuh mekking muh laff BUT what is so NASTY bout tough vaginas? Eff yuh din come tru one yuh musee come tru de back door?
The blog will be closed in 2 minuted and comments transferred to an update blog on the matter.
Post comments on the Alexandra matter HERE.