As day 10 of the teachers’ strike ended yesterday, the GTU set out minimum conditions for returning to the classrooms and it underlined that recent meetings with the Ministry of Education (MoE) had been on policy matters but not salaries and collective bargaining.
A crowd of teachers and supporters gathered in front of the Ministry of Education on Brickdam and continued to press their case for better salaries. Children in uniform accompanied their parents to the protest.
Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) General Secretary Coretta McDonald told Stabroek News yesterday that the union and MoE continue to speak at the level of the professional development committee which deals with policy aspects and by extension regarding teachers attending schools late and how it can be curbed. It also includes how teachers can be relocated to schools that are close to their homes, reduction of class sizes, reducing teaching periods, and implementing workshops to target slow learners. McDonald added that the Minister of Education Priya Manickchand told the union that all matters relating to finances are being dealt with at the Office of the President.
McDonald’s clarification was in response to a statement by Vice Presi-dent Bharrat Jagdeo that the union and the ministry had been meeting and there was therefore no grounds for a strike.
“Sometimes it’s laughable when you hear the Vice President speak because the Vice President is sometimes nowhere around and when he makes these pronouncements it gives one the impression who is listening, that the Vice President is at all of these meetings. We have never been able to speak with the permanent secretary of the MoE.”
Striking teachers will only resume duties under conditions outlined by the GTU including that MoE must immediately restart the monthly dues deduction. Secondly, MoE and the government should take into consideration the salaries that teachers are receiving and that no teacher will lose pay. Finally, the MoE should present a counter proposal to the GTU so that talks can begin from that standpoint. Teachers are willing and ready to resume duties as long as the government decides that they will engage with the union meaningfully. However, there has been no communication from the MoE or by extension the government thus far to engage with the union, McDonald added.
“The deduction of the teacher’s dues is where teachers have legally written to the MoE, giving them permission to deduct $700 from their salaries and remit same to the GTU. Whenever they are prepared to talk with us, our members will decide that they will come off the streets. In the meantime we hear about the care of this government but yet our students who have to write CSEC whose SBAs (School-Based Assessments) are in jeopardy at this time, the government is not taking that into (account). We have our pupils who will be writing the Grade Six Assessment exams, apparently the government care is not there anymore.”
Vanessa Kissoon, a teacher from Linden, told reporters that teachers are out in their numbers in Linden in full support of the strike.
“Right now, we are feeling disrespected, especially by some of the comments that are being placed on Facebook by even the Minister. That is why we are out in the streets and we will continue to be out in the streets. We are not asking for much, all we are asking for is collective bargaining.
“Just come to the table have a discussion. Let’s have a conversation but not with who you choose. We would like you to speak to the representatives, the GTU. We ain’t doing no classes at least we are not doing any classes. We ain’t online, offline, in classrooms, we are not around the line, we are not on no line, we outside. Until this government respect teachers, Ali himself in 2018 said ‘What about the teachers? Aren’t they important?’ Well understand how important we are. Well, I want to flip the question. Parents, how are you feeling?” she asked.
