It seems that so far there has been only scanty comments about the transfer exercise in primary schools. This exercise will be implemented as from January of 2007 and it seems more and more that this time the exercise has not been carried out according to certain basic and established criteria. This is a fact to be really deplored as non-respect of these criteria means that the interests of numerous teachers may have been trampled upon.

In various regions it has been noted that a very restricted number of teachers who are close to a group of people have been transferred from star to star schools and this is too flagrant and strongly resented by members. Such a practice was rarely seen in the past as it means that the union itself has gone against principles which it has clamoured for and defended so forcefully during so many years. Members are asking what explanations will be provided by the union for the violation of this fundamental principle as there are so many teachers who have been waiting for an opportunity to work in good schools at least once in their career.

Members are informed at the same time that some people who are supposed to defend members have themselves chosen to be posted from one star school to another star school. This means that instead of giving the opportunity to members to work in good schools some union representatives have chosen to enjoy the privilege themselves. Members in certain regions are well aware of which cases we are making mention here and we hope that some people will muster enough courage to deny this matter and prove the contrary.

At the same time in some regions it is noted that some privileged people are being transferred without completing their cycle of six years; and strangely enough these people are being sent to star schools again while their seniors having completed their cycle of six years or less in difficult schools have been posted in remote and very average ones. In such cases again it is clear that the exercise has been carried out with a strong dose of partisanship and bias against a good number of members.

Surprisingly, we note that the union has not requested that the transfer list be published or sent to schools and one can well and easily understand for which reason this is the case. Obviously the union does not want members to know the truth about the arbitrary and most unjust policy it has pursued so far as transfer is concerned. It wants as far as possible to hide this disgraceful and shameful policy from its members but thank God most members are already fully aware of it.

It is too easy to see that the unfair policy aims at promoting what is commonly termed ?le clientèlisme syndical?. Teachers have even learnt that one trade union representative is even reported to have gone to the extent of saying that some members are more equal than others. We have also learnt about the cases of so many members who have called at the union?s office and who learnt subsequently that their cases could not be taken into account. Teachers also report that some people at the union have not hesitated to condemn members for their decision to sign a petition and to have shown allegiance to some other groups and for this reason they believe that the transfer exercise has been an opportunity for a ?règlement des comptes? from the part of some union representatives.

The major union of the primary sector, the GTU will have to answer to all the anomalous cases of transfer noted in the transfer exercise and members, particularly those who feel that instead of being defended they have been victimized will wait for their representatives to give them the right answers.

Les Anges Gardiens