By Abigail Headley
The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and teachers across Guyana will today embark on a two-week strike to protest failure by the relevant authorities to address four key issues raised by the union.
In a letter headed “Urgent Pending Industrial Action”, the union stated that these issues not only affect the well-being of educators but also have a direct impact on the stability of the nation’s educational system. Among the issues are the government’s failure to address the GTU’s multi-year agreement, imposed salary increases and non-salary benefits, failure of the Chief Labour Officer (CLO) to act, and unresolved matters impacting educational stability.
Speaking on each of the four issues in the letter, GTU’s General Secretary Coretta McDonald stated that despite efforts to engage in dialogue with the ministries of Labour and Education there has been little progress in meeting the terms of the multi-year agreement. She added that this lack of response has seen concerns escalate, as salary increases and benefits have been imposed without mutual agreement.
Concerning the CLO’s failure to act, McDonald stated, “previous correspondence detailing our grievances has unfortunately gone unanswered…”
A letter to Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton dated January 23, 2024, urged him to investigate the lack of response from the CLO, since timely intervention was crucial to fostering a resolution.
During a conversation with Stabroek News late last Monday night, McDonald had expressed her frustration with the government’s handling of negotiations. According to her, in 2020 a proposal was submitted by the union to the government. This proposal, she explained, was supposed to span from 2020 to 2023, but no response has been forthcoming on it, to date. Prior to today, the GTU had written to the Labour Ministry requesting arbitration. This request, which was the final stage, was also left unanswered.
McDonald in the most recent letter further expressed the union’s belief in fair negotiations, noting that the current approach undermines progress in education.
“We urge intervention to address these issues, which affect both educators and the stability of the educational system,” she implored.
In response to GTU’s decision to strike, McDonald stated, the Ministry of Labour reached out about two weeks ago, asking the GTU to resend its letters, stating that they had been misplaced. The General Secretary noted that she agreed to resend them.
The most recent correspondence concluded by acknowledging the challenges faced by the government in the current socio-economic climate and reiterating the union’s commitment to resolving issues through open dialogue. Noting that industrial action was a last resort to ensure salary and benefit negotiations for members, McDonald then urged the government to respect labour laws and work with all employee unions of the state.
“We are committed to fostering a positive relationship with the Ministry of Labour and the government at large. We hope that, through your intervention, we can find common ground and avoid the disruption that industrial action may bring. We kindly request an urgent meeting to discuss these matters before the scheduled industrial action. Your prompt attention to this matter is essential to maintaining the stability of our educational system and ensuring the well-being of our educators,” the letter read.
Once again, the GTU’s letter was left unanswered by those to whom it was addressed. Instead, Hamilton took to social media on Monday to address teachers who were contemplating participation in the strike. In a video posted on the Labour Ministry’s Facebook page, he accused GTU executive members of going around Guyana and manipulating teachers into taking part in the industrial action, which he deemed illegal.
“Your employer would be duty-bound to take whatever necessary disciplinary action against you,” Hamilton cautioned teachers.
Further, both Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Education Minister Priya Manickchand last week echoed the Minister of Labour that the strike action is an illegal one. Jagdeo even went further to deem it political in nature.
“This is a political strike that they want to call, because the grievances there are not real and we constantly have to engage the teachers. We are investing more and more in education, training and in teachers’ improvement,” Jagdeo stated.
Meanwhile, on the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page, teachers, some of whom seemed to be reading from a script, expressed their appreciation for the schools’ cash grant which was distributed for the first time during the Christmas term. However, on popular social media sensation Melly Mel’s page there were screenshots of workers under the ministry soliciting teachers to share their views on the grants. On Saturday, the ministry announced that the second bout of schools’ cash grants will be distributed today.
On the flip side, teachers expressed disgust at the ministry’s actions and treatment towards them. Some said they were accused of pocketing part of the schools’ cash grants for themselves. Others lamented the fact that GuySuCo workers and students were receiving sizeable allowances whilst teachers have been receiving a meagre $8,000 per term as uniform allowance for many years.
“We cannot even afford boots with the allowance so it’s ‘slippers on the ground’ come Monday,” one teacher commented.
This newspaper reached out to several schools around Georgetown and the East Coast and was informed that teachers would indeed be taking part in the industrial action.
The strike is scheduled to conclude on February 16, or sooner, pending a favourable response from the relevant authorities towards the teachers’ plights.
“Pay us. And then we will start talking after then. Pay us what you owe us and then we’ll start talking after then. We’ll start talking about the new proposal,” McDonald said last Monday night.
