THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers slammed the Department of Education for allegedly violating the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers as the agency continues to oblige teachers to work on their supposed rest days without proper compensation.

“Ginagawa nang bisyo ng DepEd ang pagpapatrabaho sa mga guro nang walang karampatang kabayaran. May utang na silang 77 araw ng labis na pagpapatrabaho noong school year 2020-2021 nang pinagtrabaho nila ang mga guro nang tuluy-tuloy na 13 buwan na walang pahinga. Pinahaba pa nila nang hanggang 3 linggo ang trabaho sa school year 2021-2022,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

“Sa pagsisimula naman ng School Year 2022-2023, kulang ang itinakdang kapalit na service credits sa pagsisilbi sa enrolment at Brigada Eskwela,” Basilio added.

ACT cited sections 13 and 14 of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers mandating the payment of the daily rate plus 25 percent for work outside teachers’ regular work schedule and beyond teaching duties.

“Karapatan ng mga guro ang 2 buwang pahinga matapos ang 10 buwan na tuluy- tuloy na trabaho sa isang school year. Ito ang tanging leave credits ng mga guro kapalit ng kawalan ng sick leave at vacation leave. Lahat ng school calendar bago magpandemya ay gumalang sa karapatang ito, maliban sa huling 2 taon ni Sec. Leonor Briones at ngayon sa panahon ni Sec. VP Sara Duterte,” Basilio said.

The group accused the DepEd of committing abuse for saying that there is no legal basis for the two-month break for teachers

“Teachers are workers too whose labor rights should be protected. We should be protected against labor abuse which is what DepEd is doing in asserting that teacher’s work schedule depends on their whim. Ang ginagawa nila ang walang ligal na batayan,” Basilio said.

“We also call on Deped to immediately compensate the 77 days excess workdays that teachers were obliged to work in school year 2020-2021,” he added.