Teachers in Berbice last week took action by absenting themselves from school to voice their frustration at the lack of talks with the government as it relates to the proposal for an increase in salary made by the GTU three years ago.
Stabroek News was told that yesterday some teachers in Georgetown took the same actions, while educators around the country are expected to join in the coming weeks.
Last week Wednesday, teachers from Canje and New Amsterdam stayed away and provided an excuse, while on Thursday teachers from the Corentyne area stayed away from school providing an excuse for what is being deemed by some as “a day of rejuvenation.”
Following the actions, teachers have taken to their social media platforms to stress their frustration over the stalemate in the salary matter.
The teachers in their proposal, which was first submitted to the APNU+AFC government in 2019 are requesting a 25% increase for the year 2019 and a $20% increase in the following five years (from the proposed date).
This newspaper was told that in August 2020, the proposal was resubmitted to the new government and has been resubmitted every year since.
A source from the Ministry of Education yesterday would only say that the situation is being “monitored.”
Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, last week confirmed to Stabroek News, that on one day teachers from the Canje/New Amsterdam area “stayed away from school” while the Corentyne teachers did so another day.
Armogan said, “I understand from the ReDO (Regional Education Officer) one of the things they are looking at is payment package.”
Questioned about systems which will be put in place, Armogan had said that schools were not badly affected. “It’s like seven, eight teachers from some of these schools so the other teachers are picking up the slack”, he said.
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Mark Lyte yesterday told Stabroek News that the initiative is not an industrial action by the union but rather it is a decision by teachers to air their frustrations.
According to Lyte, they had two meetings with the government where there were limited talks on the proposal. He confirmed that the government had not reached out to the union since this new action was taken by the teachers.
Negotiable
Touching on the proposal itself, Lyte pointed out that it was negotiable adding that it is disappointing that the government has not seen it fit to embark on talks with the union.
Lyte further pointed to the situation of nurses leaving the country to seek employment elsewhere as he called on the government to ensure teachers are paid well so that they can remain in the profession they love.
“All the teachers you speak with are disappointed. Teachers now realize that this is not a political matter, they are now feeling it in the marketplace, they are taking home a small and insufficient salary… Everything in the marketplace has gone up.”
He added, “Teachers are saddened, they feel disrespected and they feel as though no one cares.”
In March, the GTU had protested over the absence of the multi-year agreement. In explaining the protest action outside of the Ministry of Finance, Lyte then had stated that the issue has been stretched out for too many years and it’s time the government and the union come to an agreement.
Meanwhile, parents in Berbice yesterday told Stabroek News that they were concerned as to whether the situation will continue. One woman pointed out that her daughter was in Grade 6 and “if them absent who go teach them?”
While some parents noted that they understood the teachers’ actions, others suggested that the teachers should find another way to raise their issues. One parent in New Amsterdam said, “Them can’t just absent like that, when they not in school them children na do nothing whole day, wah go happen then?”
