By Rabindra Rooplall

GOVERNMENT’s non-payment of debunching money promised to teachers will be dealt with accordingly. Industrial action will loom if nothing is done to facilitate hardworking teachers countrywide, Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) President Mark Lyte has warned.

“Teachers are so agitated about this payment, that it can lead to the resumption of industrial action that was suspended May last,” he advised. “Let it be known that the GTU is committed to having everyone receive their debunching funds.”

Lyte stressed this message yesterday at a press conference held at the GTU Headquarters on Woolford Avenue to underscore many issues facing teachers.

He explained that the Education Ministry has a multi-year agreement that spans 2011-2015, which is near closure. Many issues were highlighted in this agreement under the previous, and now the present, administration.

“A number of meetings were held with the Ministry of the Presidency, and we were told, prior to Monday, that this matter would have to be dealt with by the Cabinet, since an announcement will have to be made in relation to debunching payments,” Lyte said.

Lyte said the GTU received on Monday, correspondence that now points the issue back to the Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry.

“GTU is worried that this matter seems to be revolving — going from place to place. We would like the Education Ministry to know [that] teachers all across Guyana are anxiously awaiting the disbursement of the debunching funds, and calculating how teachers are to benefit from debunching has been completed a very long time ago; and we do not understand why, at this point and time, a definite pronouncement cannot be made as to when our teachers, who serve this country diligently, cannot be granted their debunching monies,” Lyte fumed.

Underscoring that the GTU would be meeting with the relevant officials this week in relation to the issue, Lyte said teachers countrywide should understand that the union is working tirelessly to promote their interest, as the executives of the body will not be accepting excuses from officials.

He noted: “Teachers are intelligent people, and their patience is running out. We cannot be talking to different people on every occasion, and when you finish a set of talks thinking that you’re getting to the end, you’re again being referred to another group of people or individual to commence talks again. Example, debunching: every time we have to speak to someone new, we have to re-submit all the documents afresh and explain what is debunching, and the process starts over again.”

The union had, last May, instituted industrial action in the form of ‘work to rule’ and participating teachers were expected to do the very minimum in terms of their work, and were expected to return home if their working conditions were not acceptable. The industrial action was brought to an end after the elections which saw the coalesced APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) being elected to office.

The APNU+AFC government has reportedly put on hold payment of the debunching money and duty-free concession pending the outcome of ongoing investigations of the previous government’s activities.

Even as the GTU prepares to meet with the Education Minister to discuss its many concerns with the system, reports are that it is recommending that working groups be established to deal with the outlined issues with a view to having them placed into categories and addressed by specific groups consisting of representatives of the GTU and the ministry.

The minister is likely to be receptive to the recommendations of the union. Since assuming office, Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has committed, on multiple occasions, to working closely with the GTU.