In Dagestan, teacher seeks justice from President of Russia

Today, Magomed Musaev, a teacher of technology of the Makhachkala secondary school No. 45, addressed his letter to President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev. The complaint is against the actions of the school principal Patimat Magomedova, who refused to pay extra salary to teachers, as envisioned within the new payment system.

Mr Musaev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the principal is in conflict with him since 2004. "Apart from teaching, I'm in charge of the combined training workshop, housing various machine tools and instruments for metal- and woodworking. Accordingly, I am a materially responsible person and respond for labour safety. The law runs that I should have up to 35 percent of the basic salary extra for all that, plus up to 12 percent for adverse working conditions. However, I get nothing because of the whim of the school principal," he said.

Mr Musaev has explained that initially he tried to address Magomedova, but she would not even accept him. Then, the teacher addressed the school's commission on labour disputes. The members of the commission found the principal's actions illegal; however, no bonuses were paid. Musaev filed successive complaints to the department of education of Makhachkala, magistrate court of the Kirov District of Makhachkala, and then - to the federal court of the same city district. Musaev was supported everywhere, but Magomedova ignored all the judgements.

Then the teacher filed applications to the prosecutor's office of the Kirov District of Makhachkala, administration of the President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev and Minister of Education and Sciences of Dagestan Alexei Gasanov. Answers arrived that complaint were resent to the department of education of Makhachkala for measures to be taken.

"The city mayoralty shelters Magomedova; they took no measures to her; and I'm sure she'll not be punished this time either. Now Magomedova tries to discredit me before pupils," said the teacher.

He also told that Magomedova from year to year illegally gathers money from teachers. "In the last two years she extorted over 150,000 roubles; and nobody knows on what the money was spent," said Musaev.

No comment could be received at the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Dagestan and Makhachkala city administration: they stated that they have no information. Musaev's school colleagues and the principal herself also refused from comments.

Only at the department of education of the Kirov District of Makhachkala, which supervises the school, an anonymous source said that the educational institution, where Musaev works, has no training combined workshop with machine tools for processing metals and timber. "One of these days, a commission went to school to check Musaev's arguments. But he locked his class, saying that he needed not commissions but enforcement of the judgement on paying his bonuses," said the source.