The Government of Vanuatu welcomes the progress made towards resolving outstanding teacher claims through the tri-partite verification process between the Teaching Service Commission, Ministry of Education, Vanuatu Teachers Union (VTU), and the CBA Taskforce.

On Friday, October 10th, Prime Minister Jotham Napat and Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Koanapo received a briefing on the verification process, which verified claims totalling Vt537,314,021. The Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Education to produce a Council of Ministers' paper this week to facilitate the settlement of these claims.

While prioritizing VTU members' claims of Vt164,803,001, the Government remains committed to settling all teachers' claims, including Vt372,511,020 owed to non-VTU members. The verification process revealed incomplete payments due to changes in Teaching Service Staff Rules and different GRT determinations, as well as ambiguous claims requiring further documentation and verification.

Both leaders were briefed on the work plan and way forward for signing the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to end the strike. The Government remains committed to resolving teacher claims fairly and transparently, appreciating the collaborative efforts of all parties involved.