UAE | Education
Teachers end protest over pay
Striking teachers at an Arabic private school in Dubai have returned to work after two days of protests over low salaries.
- By Nasouh Nazzal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:54 March 20, 2008
Ras Al Khaimah: Striking teachers at an Arabic private school in Dubai have returned to work after two days of protests over low salaries.
The school management promised to look into their grievances.
Teachers went on strike after management instructed them to sign new labour contracts stating that each of them received a salary of Dh2,000, the minimum salary for teachers as stipulated by the Ministry of Education. Their actual salaries range between Dh1,400 and 1,600.
The school management needed the contracts to renew the school licence, sources said. Teachers refused to sign the contracts unless they received the salaries as stated in the contracts.
Teachers said they reported their case to the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone.
The school management apparently told teachers they would be sacked if they didn't sign the contracts.
Parents urged the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone and the Ministry of Education to help resolve the dispute.
Teachers said the salaries they received were too low to support them and they needed to do private lessons to survive.
Teachers at the school are either male teachers who depend on private lessons to support their families, or female teachers sponsored by their fathers and husbands.
A senior official at the emirate's Educational Zone said officials were suprised that teachers would sign contracts stating that they received salaries of Dh2,000 if that is not the case. The official added teachers at this school had not approached the zone to complain about being forced to sign false documents.
Abdullah Al Shehi, who heads the Educational Zone, said the problems would be investigated.
Share this article
More from UAE Education
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Book: Demographic transition behind 'high unemployment'
- Thieves caught with Dh6 million in gold bars
- ADWEA tenders for new power, desalination plants
- Mohammad approves federal demographic body
- Criminal wanted in 360 cases arrested in Dubai
- UAE visitor admits to possessing fake notes
- Men get bail in Dubai due to lack of translator
- Security trial in UAE adjourned until December
- Colombia seeks stronger ties with UAE
- Conference on combatting crime through sports begins
- Passer-by foils Dh2.5m robbery bid in Dubai
- Brothers deny vandalising plaintiff's car
- Extended break for Eid and National Day
- Free SMS offer for paid parking in Dubai
- UAE official urges corporate support for diabetes control initiatives
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
