By Clifford Stanley and Jeune Vankeric

DESPITE the countrywide strike action called by the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU), most of the schools in Berbice were opened on Monday and the majority of the teachers in schools in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) reported for duty at the nursery, primary and secondary schools, a senior education official reported.

However, several others joined the GTU in a countrywide strike action for salary increases. The official disclosed that those who supported the GTU strike amounted to a few individuals in most of the schools, but noted that the majority of teachers reported for duty and worked with their students during the day, with the result that none of the schools had to be closed.

Officials reported that there was one picketing demonstration by striking teachers at Fort Wellington, outside the Office of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) during the morning hours. The exercise lasted for about two hours before the picketers subsequently dispersed without any incident.

There were also reports that some children from a village were on their way to school when they were allegedly turned away, by a man who claimed that he was a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) councillor. A source said that the situation yesterday was closely monitored by officials of the Education Department of the Regional Administration and that not much contingency action had to be taken. They have put together a team that will continue to closely monitor the developments today, with a view to taking any contingency action which may be necessary, the source added.

Meanwhile, in New Amsterdam, several of the trained teachers within the East Berbice/Corentyne district, abandoned their classroom on the first day of the new school year, joining their colleagues across the nation in the strike action. The striking educators braved persistent rain as they converged at the Department of Education, Philadelphia Street in New Amsterdam from where they commenced a walk around the oldest township, via the main thoroughfare before entering into New Street, Strand, Chapel Street and Vryheid Street. The protest culminated in front of the Berbice Branch Office of the G TU in Vryman’s Erven.

Along the one-mile trek, the teachers sang ‘Solidarity forever’, a 100-year-old international classic, widely sung with fists raised and demands for justice. President of GTU Mr. Mark Lyte told reporters that the teachers were fully dressed for work, but, because we were not given the package, “we are not going into the classroom. This is to indicate that our teachers are ready to work, but because of how we are treated, we will not be attending classes.” The package, he said “is the multi-year proposal which includes salary increases, where there is the loggerhead …we have not been given any feasible figure in relation to what teachers would be given.”

Lyte said the government has not come to the table with something they can accept. “We are starting with 40 per cent, and we have said that we are willing to negotiate, but they [the government] are not prepared to do so. With respect to the conciliation process, we do not trust the ‘conciliation mediators’. We remain open to the government and the minister of education to say, let’s end this thing…we are willing to make a commitment on the clothing allowances. Failure, of that we have to go to arbitration.”

Further, Lyte noted that the protest action on the first day of the new school term is to signal that the teachers remain on strike as was initiated on August 27. “Our teachers are told to remain at home until further notice. They will not be on the road, neither, will they be at school. “