By Julie Badui-Owa – EMTV News, Lae
Thirty-three Teachers from Omili Primary School in Lae have reported that each of them had more than K200 deducted from their salaries at each of the last two fortnights.
One of the teachers didn’t receive any pay at all, while another had only K10 in her account after the deductions.
Wagi Yause is a grade 5 teacher at Omili Primary school. He received a salary of K250 last week from a net pay of K550. Yause said there was no record showing the K300 deduction from his net pay of K550. This was the second deduction made to his salary, he said last week’s deduction was the biggest.
The Grade 5 Teacher is a father of 8 and a grandfather of four children. He said he’s now having difficulties buying food this week.
Omili Primary School is the second biggest school in Lae with more than 2300 students and 50 teachers.
Thirty-three of these teachers reported that each of them had more than K200 of their salary deducted last week.
One of the teachers, who didn’t want to be interviewed on camera, was paid only K10 last week. She said her normal net pay was around K600. She usually gets K400 after the usual deductions.
The President for PNG Teachers Association’s Morobe branch, Mark Nanu, has called on the Government to explain why the deductions happened.