Dear Editor,
As a taxi driver, I traverse the entire East Coast Demerara and spoke to numerous people every day. Since the second strike was announced, I have speak to numerous passengers about it. Not one of them supports or approves of it.
Generally, a strike is called for meritorious reasons. Few people strike after receiving nearly a 7 % increase, with a promise of more to come. None of my passengers believe that the teachers were victorious in the last strike. Yet, here we are again….few will win, and many will lose. The losers will include the school vendors, taxi drivers like me, school workers, teachers and most definitely students. Most palpable is the public’s perception of the strike. This time, the public is more wary and less sympathetic to the teachers, and there is a more forceful backlash. They view the teachers as uncaring for their students.
Also, the union should know that one of the unintended consequences of a strike is that it causes enmity and distrust between striking and non-striking teachers. My daughter is a teacher and she said she will not be striking this time. She said it is too close to the exams, and her obligation to her students is greater than the possibility of a second salary increase this year. Many of my customers wish that more teachers would think like my daughter.
Sincerely,
Herbert Allen
