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
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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”
@Retired Teacher
Mr. Broomes is a man who stands for principle. He is not an ass-licker like you, so he will always be seen as a problem.
@Pretty Blue Eyes
WEll said!
@retired Teacher
Mr broomes is not a problem. He is a mistake and should be erased premanetly.
here come the emotions again. no evidence, no certainty, just supposition and opinion leading to taking sides of an uncertain issue.
A fly on the wall in MOE @ Jeff meeting wid King….(ear-dropping)
King: Jeff we really din wanna see you back up here so soon ya know, not after the way you bust out last time nearly pushing down the guard..You really got to do something wid that temper ya know JeFF
JeFF; @#$%**#@$%*&%$$##*%#@**%^*$@ ya so n so MOE pigeon.
King: stupesss this is the very reason we are here today, you mout 2 dirty.
JeFF:@$#%^***%^$%#$@@#**&&**@@&*%#&&&&#$ and if ya doan @#$%%&^##%%%^^ I gine @#$%&**%$$#@$5
King: Could you repeat what you just I did coughing,,,bad cold
JeFF: @#%$&%&*#%^*@##$^&(9and if ya doa@#$%^&& i gine@#$$%%%
King: Dis is bare foolishness ya know and to think the CPO did want to send you down here to work. You isa real @#$%&^$#&* FCKa Redman did right,,u want pelting to @#$%^&*&%$@$#%^&& in de Mental fa @@#$^^real ya mad Mu@#$%&%#$K^^er.
JeFF : just so ?
King : just so..
King : Yeah de meeting DONE ..LEFF D F@#$**%$ ing place.
JeFF orite den, I gine @#$*(*%$#@^^** eVABODY watch
King : stupeessss, guard deal wid dis @#%^%$ before I #$@%^***
Guard : Me not me bosie..I like my job
From reading the comments, I think this impasse has nothing absolutely with the issues that are stated, but clearly about wanting the head of an innocent man. I think that all the principals in Barbados should support Mr. Broomes, because what is catch ya ain”t pass ya; today for me and tomorrow fa you. I gone.
Why on earth would the Prime Minister have to get involved in the cook up. I’m positive that there is a Ministry of Education some where established in this country.
Isn’t the Employer of both Mr. Broomes and the Teacher able to deal with their employees.
Why must we suffer this absolute nonsense and the inability of the an Employer to deal with its employees. You mean even to the point of civil war the Ministry of Education refuses to act.
and to hear people talking crap about the teachers “Not caring about the children” is almost laughable < Where have all these people been . Have they lost sight of the fact that these same very teachers who they refered to as uncaring taught their children all those years inspite of their mistreatment and vebal assualt from Mr,. Broomes.Now doesn't that say something about a persons character when they would put anothers person interestabove there own but then it also reaches a point when said individual can take no more.
In 21st century Barbados is it good, permissible and LAWFUL to use child labourers as strike breakers?
And are we happy with this?
I refuse to comment for or against. However, as I see it we are dealing with a popularity contest. It is not only about the principal, but the principle of words said and the action of the teacher who might be marginalised by not allowing to teach which she’s qualified without any discussion. This is absolutely wrong. How come this nonsense has been placed under the carpet and the heat vented now causing an out of control fire. Tell me why…..who’s to blame.
We are about to see the clash of the Titans, namely the NUPW backing Jeff Brooms and the BWU backing BSTU. Who will have bragging rights?
I have noticed a distinct bias in the media in favour Jeff Broomes. In so doing, they are trying to fashion the news not report it. I almost fell of my chair when I read a comment in the Barbados Today to the effect that this impasse threatens to split the trade union movement. They continue to report that Broomes is being represented by the NUPW, but they know or ought to know that that statement is incorrect. In order to be accurate, they should have reported that Broomes was accompanied by, the ailing Dennis Clarke who is on leave from NUPW; and his drinking buddy, Walter Maloney, who happens to be the president of NUPW. The president of NUPW is a figure head who is not required to represent anyone, but over the years some presidents have done so because they acquired some measure of training, not so with the intellectually challenged Maloney. If he is representing Broomes the teachers at Alexandra should be extremely happy.
If Clarke were acting on behalf of NUPW, why would he have to go into the union’s headquarters and SUNDAY and spirit away Jeff Broomes’s file without the knowledge or consent of the Acting General Secretary, Roslyn Smith. Then ask yourselves, Why was Clarke not assisted by any other member of staff of the NUPW? Clarke’s behaviour could be excused, after all , he has been losing it for some time and his resent illness has only served to waste more of his brain. Maloney will not let down a drinking buddy especially if that buddy is the one who pays the bar bill, something that Maloney shies away from.
I now have a different perspective of the Barbados Today and if I continue to read it, I will have to check another source before I can believe anything that they produce.
NATION NEWS.COM By Mike King | Fri, January 13, 2012 – 12:11 AM
“National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) president Walter Maloney has accused the Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU) of making unkind remarks about Chief Personnel Officer Gail Atkins.
Shortly after emerging from a meeting at the Ministry of Education that focused on the raging Alexandra School impasse, Maloney expressed concerns about comments allegedly made against Atkins.”
Back to what I was saying earlier. Now THIS is NUPW representing their member- their MANAGEMENT member.
Go Wallie.
@Bush Tea
In this case Sir Roy’s tirades are behind closed doors and those around the table understands it is the union boss ‘flexing’.
What slip is showing what? Simply because there is not enough evidence in the public domain to call this one? Agree with Sir Roy that there seem to be a fracture which will take a long time to heal, a position anyone can call at this point. Then there is the shenanigans just exposed by Caswell about the role of the NUPW and an ailing Clarke. Did someone really take Broomes’s file? Is this the kind of management we have being practiced by one of our significant unions?
NUPW representing management.
BWU backing the BSTU
The BUT silent.
The unions mentions are part of CTUSAB?
Ping Pong
We’re both on the same page, right or wrong, the attitude and combative nature of Mary Redman’s approach will cause any one to put up a defensive wall. Imagine the MOE instrusted the BSTU to return to work and they would immediately deal with the issue. No, it must be done her way, the man has to be separaed first. If you were an accused in court can they punish you and then try the case? Like you said a case of trying to squeeze the MOE’s hand without a trial, had she allowed the system to work or fail, she would have many others on her side, I still maintain she has her own agenda and cares little or nothing about the students. Whether Mr Broomes comes out on the losing end of this battle, he will be given a healthy handshake, but in the end, like the Lodge school, it would take many many years for a great school like AX to regain its integrity, and it is all about uncaring adults, no wonder the youth are this way.
Caswell Franklyn is a disgruntled former NUPW member/executive, like Sir Roy, he’s just playing the popularity game, don’t take him serious. Both of these jokers have offered their services as negotiators, yet both have biases towards the BSTU; some VERY FAIR negotiators. LORD HAVE MERCY. I’m beginning to have serious doubts about our administrators in Barbados. To date no-one has refute the rumor that the teacher at the centre of this dispute is closely related to a senior officer in the MOE. Maybe that’s why she was treated with kid gloves when the report was made by Mr Broomes. Things like this happens in a small country, because of family ties some so-called professionals cannot act that way, and we want to be considered FIRST WORLD. If one of the Queen’s children breaks the law they are punished, the same thing happens in almost all first world countries but in our type of “first world ” memtality, it is who you related to
@ Mork
I am too appreciative and proud of the education which I have been fortunate to receive from this country to get involved in any low-level cross-talk and / or invective with you.
Roy Morris of Barbados Today is like Jeff Broomes is an old boy of the Colridge and Pary school, and they appear to be about the same age too. Very likely they were at school together.
Roy Morris and jeff could not be at school together, there is a huge age difference
In a recent editorial Roy Morris declared his interest in the matter, his son attends Alexandra School.
Did I hear Mary Redman said that becasue the wording say that the union may follow the grievance handling procedure and that means that the union does not have to, what a laod of rubbish.
Grievance handling procerures are the corner stone of industrial relations. Therefore, even if you have a good case and you do not follow them you cannot win a case.
Has the union done that, has it laid a charge against Mr. Broomes, i bet you not. It cannot win the case even if had a case. You cant call for the removal of someone. i guess she was advised not to repeat her statement of not following established grievance handling procedures which have been establised with the NUPW.
Hope the govt has the balls to dock those teachers pay.
miss Redman you ought to apoligize to CXC. And those who are pleading to CXC for a relaxation of the rules, I say that is how anarchy in systems eventually prevail.
Ac
hope you aint a teacher it shoulde be ‘their own” not there own. hope that that was a typing slip, like the ones i make. There points to a place, a location. Their shows onwership etc.
have a nice day. Remember I am not a teacher, so if i make mistakes like the one you make I can be forgiven yah hear.
If I had won Lotto , now I would invest in a book or movie
Called DEADLOCK
starring
JeFF……..D.man of the moment
Mary…….D.tenacious pit bull
Patrick…..D advisor
Teachers of AX..D not listened to for 2 long
Walter…..D sir walter raleigh
Caswell….D informer
MOE…….D Jo come lately
BUT……..D opportunist SB
Media……D mek moe money
Sir L…….D General wid the key
Students…D pawns would gine got 2 wks to catchup
Parents….D should of keep outs
PTA……….D need leadership
BU…………D facilitator
We………..D transformers
I leff out anybody ?
To Pretty Blues:
I am sure you were one of those PROUD parents who took little John or Mary to QUEEN’S College each day. Readers on this blog are not interested.
To Blogger 2012:
When you are ready to make some substantial point beyond the nonsense you so love to contrive, come and let us see it.
To Bush Tea:
Keep up the good work.
Having seen page 3 of today’s Nation Newspaper, I am calling on the National Council of the NUPW to bring disciplinary action against Dennis Clarke and Walter Maloney. Any representation by the NUPW should have been led by the GS Rosalind Smith. I asked and was told that the National Council has not even discussed the Broomes matter, but then again it could not be discussed when Dennis Clarke took the Broomes file although he is on leave. Why the police was not called for him, I do not know. Walter Maloney did not even turn up to the last National Council meeting so he could not have gotten any instructions from the Council. What is going on at the NUPW?
@Scout
“Imagine the MOE instructed the BSTU to return to work and they would immediately deal with the issue. No, it must be done her way, the man has to be separated first. ”
I know you are purposely missing the point …..time and time again we have been told on this blog, media by Mary herself at the meeting( Sherbourne)..
…this is the THIRD TIME ( 3) Times, (tres ocasiones) THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE GONE BACK TO WORK on the advice of MOE to avert withdrawal of their services…only to find nothing , NOTHING was done by the MOE..
Realistically now , do you think they should do it again ?
But looka this issue doing what the eager 11 couldn’t do. Cause a civil war. If you want the PM to get involved the only level he should get involved in is if The Ministry of Education and the Minister of Education refuse to act in accordance with what is power to do, police their employees.
If that is the case shut down the Personnel Division, shut down the Ministry of Education, shut down all the unions, cause all I see is every lizard want its day in the sun.
After all this furore what then?!
The longer this matter drags on the more diluted the issues become and the further away from the real problem positions become.We are now hearing that the BSTU must win otherwise a huge blow will be dealt to them and the Trade Union movement.What about the children and their education ?? Why is it about who wins and who loses?? What about the teacher who refused to teach a class for an entire term?? What action if any was taken in this matter? If none what will be done about this situation?The children affected already know who the teacher is and whether or not they were taught for that period.But alas the focus is lost and we are now into personality warfare!!
“The BSTU must win otherwise a huge blow will be dealt to them”. You have got to be kidding, is this how we are dealing with National issues? get a victory because to lose would make you look bad.
I thought that ethics would dictate that right is right and wrong is wrong. But then again this is Barbados.
The Ministry of Education is to blame for not resolving this situation.
This is symptomatic of systemic failure within the system,
The Civil Service set -up and its mode of conducting business need to be” Scrapped”: The sooner ; the better.
This is how a disturbance is created, in the end the MOE is at fault for not addressing the matter up front. I was told the only matter to be resolved is the one at Speech Day. Up till now no-one can tell me if it is true that the senior teacher who refused to teach a class is really related to a senior officer at the MOE.
Porter
It is not the system that needs scrapping, in theory it is a good system. The problem is the persons who implement the system. Getting a timely response from the Chief Personnel Officer is almost as difficult as pulling hen’s teeth. Don’t scrap the system: you need to scrap some of the operatives, Like Napoleon is always quoted as saying, you need to shoot a general. I recommend that the first general to be shot should be the Chief Personnel Officer, Gail Atkins. Sorry Mamoney, I have dealt with her over the years and I find her to be extremely inefficient, bordering on incompetent. Her problem is that you can’t hide at the top: she should never have reached this level. I think the peter principle should be renamed the “Gail Atkins Principle” in honour of one of its greatest exponents.
This is becoming a war between the leading trade unions with Frnklyn’s new union trying to get some say. It appears the only reason Sir Roy is willing to bring out his union, the BWU, is because Mr Broomes didn’t go against his union’s advice and let Sir roy mediate on the matter. It is now clear that Sir Roy would have gone with a set agenda and the poor man would have been declared GUILTY before the start of the deliberations. Sir Roy your slip is showing, by the way, have you sought a mediator in the still unresolved Sandy Lane or Royal Shop matters? Unions is a total waste of time and money, its members are just there to make people like Sir Roy and Mary Redman rich and well known.
As far as Franklyn is concerned,, all these people are doing a bad job, I would like to form a committee of Franlyn, as chairman, a/c as sect. and the others who think they are perfect and everyone else is inferior. Let them select the right persons, in their belief, who would do a good job in these positions. I bet you they would chose themselves and make a total mess of the whole thing. Franklyn, you didn’t just come to town, you have already been tried and condemned, go get a rocking chair and relax and keep smiling until your pic for your I.D card to hell is taken.
@Warrior,
Unfortunately this is Barbados where wrong has become right depending on who you are, who you know,or who your family is and right becomes wrong if you are from the wrong side of the track.
Imagine you have a teacher who teaches Principle of Business at this school who tells his students he can’t help them with their work because he helped another school and he is tired. This is the sort of foolishness that is occurring at this school and no one dare deal with these individuals.
@the scout
Wholeheartedly agree with your remarks.
I would REALLY like this to Over.
Please CPO … we hoping
@Retired Teacher
You responded! It hit home. I bet you retired a teacher – sorry an old one.
Normally when people strike …the most common demands include
MONEY>>>>imagino…all these poor people want is 1 MAN..nothing else
This speaks volumes!
I have been following with great interest comments made for and against both parties in this saga. However, what has me a bit concerned is the personal support from certain Senior Executive members of the NUPW for Mr. Broomes. The reason I said ” personal support” is that Mr. Clarke is very much on sick leave, judging from his picture in today’s Nation, the man looks like he got away from his bedside nurse at home and came out with walking stick and cushion to support a friend or should I say a Lodge brother?. Mr. Clarke, I wonder if the N.I.S will be docking your Sickness Benefits the same way that the teachers’ salaries will be docked, because you can no longer be categorized as “SICK”. Why don’t you give the folks at NUPW a chance to conduct their business in a professional way. What you have done is to place the NUPW in a bad light by coming out under the guise of the NUPW to represent Mr. Broomes. YOU ARE ON SICK LEAVE, STAY OUT OF IT AND LET THE DULY APPOINTED ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY AT NUPW DO HER WORK. THEN AGAIN YOU ARE HELL BENT ON DESTROYING HER AS I READ THAT YOU WENT TO HER OFFICE AND EVICTED HER RECENTLY.
Finally, to Mr. Maloney, stop being a follower and be a leader. You should be able to tell Mr. Clarke that what he is doing is not right. Explain to me how you and Clarke plan to represent the ordinary teachers who are members of the NUPW should they have an issue with Mr. Broomes now or in the foreseeable future. Are you going to tell them go and join Caswell Franklyn’s Union, because Uncle Jeff is our friend and Lodge Brother? Think before you act.
Scout ac on a board meeting never for you see i am totally bias in favour of people,basic human rights and that is against the LAW in Barbados
No-one can yet confirm or deny the rumor that the teacher at the centre of this controversy is indeed a close relative of a senior officer at the MOE. If this is true, no wonder Mr Broome had to vent his frustration in an apology to the parents at the Speech Day .
To Mr Jeff Broome
Settle for a compensation of bds $ 1 million, realise it is not good to be right in Barbados anymore. This country is heading down the wrong path. The tail is now wagging the dog, and got its head spinning.
@Lemuel
I have never considered anything you write as having sustance, so are u infront of a mirror night now?
@Caswell
Are you hoping to get members join your union, by throwing support behind Ms. Redman even though you have recognized that she hasnt got a clue about grievance handling procedures?
Has the union filed a complaing aginst the principal. That is one of the requirements in establising that there is a grievance. How on earth can you tell me that you are representing the BSTU which has publicly made a call for the removal of the principal without the process of greivance handling exercise not completed. are you being jude and jury at the same time?
Since you seem to tallk aeveything, tell this blog the namture of the written, complaint if any, that was submitted against the prinicpal.
I want you to enlighten the bloggers, when it has been established that there is a grievance and how the Public Service Act specifies that a greivance be handled, known as the grievance handling procedure. I know that you would have a copy of one, if I had one i would have done so myself. Can you tell mewhere I can get one from.
I was told that you have an axe to gring with the cpo,because while working at the NUPW you had written an insulting and defamatory letter to her and the Union was about to be sued and you were sacrificed.
I agree that Mr. Clarke cannot not be representing Mr. Broomes of GS of the Union as he is on sick leave, and perhaps he is doing is as an interested party, hence the Nation should get it facts correctly.
Someone told me the role of the president is that of a figure head when it comes to grievance.
@Retired Teacher
Does the same thing goes for Mr. Kranklyn?
@Scout
It’s a fine (sometimes non existent line) between rumour and fact. Hunt down the last names in question and all will be revealed. “related to” may be the incorrect phrase however. Dig a little deeper on Church Hill and you might find some links and unstated occurrences that may raise more than eyebrows and toss more questions in the mix.
@CAaswell
Are you willing to name others who should not have reached the top an should be shot as well? I suspect you might not have enough space here.
@Keith Howard MONEY>>>>imagino…all these poor people want is 1 MAN..nothing else
Yes – Kill Jesus and give us Barrabbas, give us Barabbas, give us Barabbas. I think I can see you Keith the day Jesus was crucified. Devil!
Observing
I’m reading you LOUD and CLEAR; that’s where the problem is, the MOE is between a rock and a very hard place. What it needed was professionalism and call a spade a spade, when personal feelings get into the matter it then becomes hard to deal with. I wish the minister luck. Would the complaint by Mr Broomes to the MOE be hidden and the relative persons deny ever knowing about the complaint/s from the principal? There are so many more twists and turns to be revealed in this case that some of us will get grey hair before it is over.
None of those bloggers who wants to crucify Mr Broomes, isn’t brave enough to say the relationship between the teacher and the Official at the MOE.
I hope that teacher realise nothing is given to you on a silver platter ( unless your name is Owen or LLoyd) you must market yourself in a proper manner, don’t take anything for granted. THINK ON THESE THINGS
I guess Franklyn would advise Mary not to meet with the minister until her request for Mr Broomes separation is fulfilled. These union leaders who are looking for recognition is willing to lead the combative Mary down a cliff, just for their own glory.
Caswell is it true Sir Roy wanted to fire Comrade Bobby when he took a day off to canvass?
Back on track finally the MOE calls a meeting for 1.30PM tomorrow.
Only to be a fly on the wall, although reading THE Scout he seems to have all the facts of the case.