Skip to main content

STOP PLAYING WITH OUR TEACHERS

The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has informed the Ministry of Education of its members’ intention to strike as of August 27. The ultimatum was issued following the breakdown of talks between the government and the union. The head of the GTU, Mark Lyte has stated that the teachers would accept what they consider a reasonable offer but the government seems to be either intransigent or uncompromising on all the major proposals by the union.
The breakdown of negotiations came six months after a High Level Task Force appointed by President David Granger to address the issues of teachers’ salaries and working conditions. However, the Task Force’s report which agreed with the majority of the GTU’s requests was inexplicably disregarded by the government. This seems to be another case of a waste of the taxpayers’ money, and the government acting unfairly and disrespectfully to the teachers, who clearly deserve better.
For too long our teachers have been neglected by governments, in spite of the crucial role they play in educating our children. During the 2015 election campaign, then APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate David Granger had promised to increase the salaries as well as improve the incentives that were in place for teachers. But nothing has manifested over the last three years since this administration came to power. The GTU president intoned that teachers have been without a contract since the Memorandum of Understanding ended in 2015. The union is convinced that there is a deliberate effort on the part of the administration not to address the proposals submitted by the GTU to the Ministry of Education.

The fact that the union has issued a strike ultimatum so early could possibly provide an opportunity for negotiators from both sides to reset. But for this to happen, both sides will have to adjust their hard ball approaches and compromise in the interest of the students.
The government, in particular, ought to take into consideration that the new school year is just three weeks away, hence, and it would be a colossal mistake for teachers not to be in the classrooms.
Should the teachers go on strike as planned, it will be the first in many years.

A strike by teachers will not bode well for the government for several reasons. One, the saying that all politics is local holds true in this case because with local government elections scheduled for November 12, it seems likely that the more than 9,000 public school teachers will punish the government by either voting for another party or not voting at all.
Two, most of the public schools are currently underperforming, which means that a prolonged strike will only worsen the situation. Third, our school dropout rate, especially among boys, is the highest in the Caribbean; therefore, a strike could see many of them leaving even earlier. And fourth, because of the low pay and poor working conditions that teachers endure, many qualified teachers have already moved away from the profession and some to ‘greener pastures’, and many more might will follow suit should a strike ensue.

There is a crisis in the education system, yet there has been seemingly no serious attempt by the government to meaningfully address the concerns of the teachers, who are earning less than their counterparts in the Caribbean. Instead, the administration has gone to great lengths to frustrate them.
It appears that the teachers have essentially reached a point of no return and that a strike is unavoidable, unless the government shows in some way that is ready to negotiate an acceptable pact in earnest. The government has to stop playing with our teachers. As reported, the Minister of Education has re-invited the union to the negotiating table. It may just be too late.

Source:

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Mitwah posted:

They should give the teachers a 50% raise like they gave to the opposition who have refused to accept it.

Mitwah, I believe the opposition (PPP) wanted that raise, but they play shame face. Where is the rise going to and what are they doing with it? 

FM
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

Strikeout President and insert "the dictator". But then again dictators do not need recommendations.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

He is Brigadier Unilateral. Don't ask questions. Just obey his order or comply with his decision.

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

Strikeout President and insert "the dictator". But then again dictators do not need recommendations.

We have an opposition (PPP) that is weak as trash. When there is NO opposition then we called it a dictatorship. When we have an opposition that is ineffective, the leader of the day will do as they please. It's time we stop concentrating on Granger's and ask what the fvck the PPP is doing. 

FM
Gilbakka posted:
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

He is Brigadier Unilateral. Don't ask questions. Just obey his order or comply with his decision.

In other words, the PPP as the opposition is in-effective.

Mitwah
Mitwah posted:
Gilbakka posted:
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

He is Brigadier Unilateral. Don't ask questions. Just obey his order or comply with his decision.

In other words, the PPP as the opposition is in-effective.

The PPP is firmly committed to parliamentary democracy, not guerrilla warfare. Its battles against Granger are fought mainly in parliament, and also in the law courts. The PPP cannot call strikes in the public service that serves the government. It can call strikes against Guysuco only. What other methods of struggle must the PPP use to be "effective"? Marches? Granger's army and police will discourage that forcibly. Picketing? That has propaganda value only. 

FM
Prince posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Mitwah posted:

Why did Granger set up a task force and then deep six all of the recommendations? This is poor leadership by the President.

 

Strikeout President and insert "the dictator". But then again dictators do not need recommendations.

We have an opposition (PPP) that is weak as trash. When there is NO opposition then we called it a dictatorship. When we have an opposition that is ineffective, the leader of the day will do as they please. It's time we stop concentrating on Granger's and ask what the fvck the PPP is doing. 

You might be right on both. However, when a military man disregards the constitution and does whatever he wants, it is called a dictatorship. How can an opposition function when the military leader imposes his own decision? This has happened under previous PNC administrations and is currently happening under this PNC administration.

FM

It is good to see that government supporters now are speaking out against their party. The plight of teachers seems to remain constant across successive administrations.  That 700k that Dave mentioned could go towards teachers salary, much less the millions being conceded to Exxon for "administrative" cost. It seems that most here are fixated on the small stuff and miss the bigger picture. 

FM

President Granger must not remain aloof from GTU negotiations

Dear Editor,

In my letter to the media dated August 13, 2018 and captioned in the Stabroek News as `The time is now for the GTU to act’, I mentioned the fact that President Granger’s Government can easily find G$1 billion annually to travel internationally but cannot find the same amount of money for the teachers.  Such funds can easily increase each teacher’s salary by some G$7,900 per month.  Now I am reading that the Granger Government did not enter these negotiations with the GTU for the teachers alone but for all public servants. Isn’t that against the spirit of Collective Bargaining? Any labour union leader will advise that collective bargaining is done between an employer and a union for the members of that union, not every worker because the process was designed to empower the trade unions. Am I to believe that the PNCR is up to its same old ways where today they plan to infiltrate and dis-empower these trade unions.

That is what the Minister of Education said in a Ministry of the Presidency press release and I shall quote “I would want to ensure that what we offer to teachers is what we can afford but also what we’re going to offer to other categories (of workers)…..”

This is a plain old game of political subterfuge and deception at conning the teachers out of bread by commingling their negotiations with the entire public service.  Such wicked political acts create the occasion and cause for a national teachers strike.  If nothing else the actions of the Granger Government are gross “eye pass” and disrespectful to the services of the teachers. After all they mould the minds of the nation’s most valuable asset – its future; its children which is very different from what other public servants do. It is a totally different deliverable and must be treated differently.

Luckily there are still opportunities to correct this injustice conceived and perpetuated by Mr. Granger’s Government; all he has to do is think constructively for all of Guyana rather than remain so focused on self-preservation. 

First off, Mr. Granger must familiarize himself with a budget created in his name, he must not remain so aloof from the process.  With the right knowledge, I am sure he will instruct areas for cutting some fat and make the entire system more effective and efficient.  One thing he can call for is an impact and outcome audit of the last three budgets to evaluate what the people have gotten from him taxing them, borrowing in their name and then spending some $900 billion. 

As an example, let us reflect on the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, which is not even a Ministry but a Department in the Ministry of the Presidency.  In 2017 it spent some $882 million but what did it achieve for the people? This Department delivered less work over three years than its predecessor did in even three months.  Isn’t it time to cut all the pageantry, sirens and public waste happening in places like the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and pay the hardworking teachers a living wage? 

Then there is the food bill for the National Parliament? Come on now, G$700,000 per sitting, what are these people eating, lobster fritters splashed with caviar and served with Chateau Margaux wine?  Then there is the Ministry of Public Telecommunications Guyana after three years is yet to benefit from the sort of advances made in the world in this sector even after spending some $6.5 billion in this sector under Minister Cathy Hughes since she took the job.  Again this Ministry under Mrs. Hughes is set to spend some $4.6 billion in 2018. Where is the progress?  Where are the deliverables?  

I can find at least 100 cases of opportunity for rationalization that will help the people but is there the political will to do better?  History would have taught us in 1967 the Office of the Auditor General could not find the proper vouchers for some 10% of the 1968 budget under the PNC.  Guess what is again happening under the PNCR in 2018?  The Office of Auditor General has asked for payment vouchers valued at billions of dollars in unaccounted expenditure on that parade ground at D’Urban Park but the PNCR boys are sand-dancing on the issue. But yet Clive Thomas and his SARA Unit are dead asleep on this issue. 

I call on all teachers to come out and support the strike again this injustice being meted out to them in 2018.  Free yourself from party politics and focus on your family first because clearly the PNCR and Mr. Granger do not care for you.

Yours faithfully,

Sasenarine Singh

Article printed from Stabroek News: https://www.stabroeknews.com

URL to article: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...om-gtu-negotiations/

 

Copyright © 2017 Stabroek News. All rights reserved.

FM

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×