Teachers deserve better over salary issue: Chand
He criticised the Minister’s response to the issue, particularly his focus on a teacher who sought clarification about her salary and whose communication was subsequently made public.
Monday 07 September 2026 | 07:00
Opposition Member Hem Chand has called for ministerial accountability after 134 teachers had their salaries stopped in Pay 18.
Mr Chand said teachers deserved an explanation about what went wrong and what corrective action had been taken to prevent a repeat.
He criticised the Minister’s response to the issue, particularly his focus on a teacher who sought clarification about her salary and whose communication was subsequently made public.
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“The Minister appears more concerned about the fact that the teacher spoke publicly than about why a teacher had to seek clarification about her own salary in the first place,” Mr Chand said.
“Teachers have every right to ask questions when their salaries are stopped.They have every right to demand an explanation.And they have every right to expect their employer to communicate clearly and promptly when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made.”
Mr Chand said accountability should also extend to the Ministry and questioned what had caused the salary issue.
“The Minister’s statement contains plenty of warnings for teachers but very little accountability for the Ministry. Where is the explanation for the systems failure? Where is the assurance that this will not happen again?”
He questioned whether any corrective action had been taken against those responsible for what he described as administrative failures.
“Accountability cannot be a one-way street. What corrective action taken against those responsible for the administrative failures?”
Mr Chand said teachers should be paid correctly and on time and receive clear communication when employment decisions affected them.
“The education system cannot function without teachers. Teachers deserve to be paid correctly and on time. They deserve clear communication.
“They deserve fair administrative processes. And they deserve a Minister who will stand up for them when the Ministry’s systems fail — not one who publicly lectures them after the fact.”
He called on the Minister to take responsibility for the system under his oversight and address any shortcomings that resulted in legitimate teachers having their salaries stopped.
“Minister, take responsibility for the system you oversee. Do not hide behind the word ‘verification.’ Do not shift the blame. Do not lecture teachers while ignoring the failures within your own Ministry.
“If there was a failure in the system, own it. If public money was improperly paid, account for it. And if legitimate teachers had their salaries stopped because of administrative shortcomings, fix the system and make it right.
“The teachers of Fiji deserve nothing less.”
