Teachers remain in the dark about a pay increase promised to them two months ago.

Bermuda Union of Teachers president Michael Charles yesterday told The Royal Gazette teachers were calling the union constantly to find out what was going on.

Arbitrators stepped in two months ago to resolve a six-month contract dispute between the BUT and the Education Ministry.

It was agreed that teachers' salary and honoraria -- the fee for participating in extra-curricular activities -- would be increased by three percent.

The amount of leave for union business was also increased from 21 to 25 days.

And teachers were told they would have two days in September, prior to the first day of classes, to prepare classrooms and attend meetings or workshops arranged by principals.

They also gained three days of personal leave during the month of September, prior to the beginning of classes, to accompany their children to school abroad.

The agreement was backdated to September last year as teachers had been working without a contract since August 31, 1997.

But earlier this month, Mr. Charles complained that teachers were still waiting for the increased salary and their patience was wearing thin.

He noted that the BUT had also sent a letter to Paermanent Secretary Marion Robinson on the issue.

In that letter, dated May 4, BUT general secretary Milton Scott wrote: "We along with teachers are concerned that teachers were not paid this increment as promised in the pay package on April 30, 1998.

"After the arbitrated award we contacted the Human Resources Department of your Ministry and were told that teachers would get a three percent salary increase on April 30 and the retroactive pay would be paid at the end of May.

"We followed up on this with the Accountant General's office who confirmed that subject to them receiving the necessary documentation from the Ministry of Education they would be able to pay teachers as indicated above.'' When teachers did not receive the increase, Sen. Scott said he checked with recently-retired senior manager of the department's human resources, Raymond Latter.

"He indicated that he had taken the necessary information to the Accountant General's office on March 25 and the Accountant General's office are now indicating they did not receive it on that day,'' he added. "He (Mr. Latter) further indicated that the information was once again delivered to them on April 29.

"The Accountant General's office have indicated that they only received the information on April 29. It is obvious that the two versions of this situation are not in agreement with each other. We are requesting that in consultation with the Accountant General an investigation be held into this matter and the results of such an investigation be reported to teachers with an appropriate apology.'' Dr. Robinson, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, responded to the letter on May 7.

She wrote: "I note that your letter includes a statement from the former Senior Manager, Human Resources, Mr. Raymond Latter, concerning the delivery of information on the terms of the arbitration between the Government and the Bermuda Union of Teachers to the Accountant General's Department. This office sees no need to comment on Mr. Latter's statement.

"You will appreciate I have no authority with respect to operations in the Accountant General's Department. Therefore, I am not in a position to comment on the statement emanating from that Department.'' Former Education Minister Jerome Dill earlier this month denied that there was an attempt to deprive teachers of the increase.

"The teachers may rest assured that they will get their increase in full certainly by the end of May,'' he said at the time.

However, both Mr. Charles and Sen. Scott said teachers can only go by the response they received from Dr. Robinson.

And Mr. Charles said with the Permanent Secretary's attitude, it was no wonder that morale was low among teachers.

"People don't realise how teachers are treated,'' he said. "And when teachers get up in arms, people wonder why. All we're asking for is a simple explanation. We just want to know what's going on.'' "We fought to get this increase. Teachers have been looking for this raise and retroactive pay.

"Now they don't know what is happening. They can't budget for it and nobody seems to be telling us anything.

"If our own permanent secretary can't defend us, who can? And you wonder why teachers' morale is low.'' Dr. Robinson could not be reached for comment.