Teachers in Region Six over the last two days have expressed concerns over the way ahead as the standoff between the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and government continues with no sign of collective bargaining talks as the strike enters its 17th day.
According to the teachers, while they support the strike they are concerned as to how long it will go on before government pays heed to their call.
A visit to schools in the Upper Corentyne Area showed that classes remained in session, while at the majority of the schools in the Central Corentyne, New Amsterdam and Canje the teachers although attending are opting out of teaching.
“Students are not coming to school but we are here, the students that are coming are bringing scrabble and games to play and that’s it. We are on strike but we are still coming to school”, one teacher in the New Amsterdam area said yesterday.
A teacher in the Upper Corentyne Area who requested to remain anonymous said “I don’t really want to comment on it because we see the situation but how long will we hold out… Parents are calling and asking and the students are the ones affected so we have to come out and teach, most of the teachers at my school not on strike they are going to work as normal.”
Another teacher added, “I don’t know how long this will continue honestly because look at the way nobody cares, everybody is just going about their business so I am concerned how long this will go. Yes, we see the reason to support but how long will we get the children waiting.”
Teachers this week have seemingly also become more concerned about speaking out and going on record as several declined to comment on the matter noting that they are awaiting a timely outcome.
Meanwhile, protest action continued at the Education Department in Region Six this week with teachers braving the sun and sitting outside on the main access road with placards in their hands calling for the Ministry of Education and government to enter into collective bargaining with their union.
Justice Sandil Kissoon last week ruled that the Government is barred from deducting monies from striking teachers’ salaries until the GTU’s legal challenge against this move is determined.
President of the GTU, Mark Lyte had stressed that they will not give up. He had said, “To see how government has ignored our teachers, ignored our teachers for fourteen days (then) gives me a clear indication as to how as an educator I am valued, how my colleagues are valued and this will remain with me forever.”
Lyte then stated, that they have given a commitment to the country’s teachers that they have their backs, “we have given a commitment that we will continue to press our case without fear or favour and that we have repeatedly said that the Guyana Teachers’ Union is ready to negotiate on the bargaining table, we are ready to negotiate the terms of resumption, we are ready to have discussion on salary increases.”
He said that they want the “salary matters to be given preference” since they have waited over three years. “We are saying to this administration that the teachers don’t want to be outside but we believe that this is the only way that our voices can be heard and even the position we have taken our voices in this country don’t seem to have been heard and that’s a sharp reality.”
According to him, the way in which the teachers have been treated during the strike period has caused “irreparable damage” in teachers even the ones who would have returned to school.
