THE Guyana Teachers’ Union, (GTU) has called on teachers to go on strike. The proposed action comes just two days after school recommenced after a prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also comes at a time when Education Month is being observed to celebrate the immense strides in the education sector.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Education condemned the action of the union and deemed the call irresponsible and baseless. According to the Ministry, there is no industrial basis for the strike call.

The right to take industrial action is enshrined in our Constitution. But it cannot be done in a capricious manner or at the whims or fancies of individuals with political axes to grind or with ulterior motives that have nothing to do with the betterment of its membership.

The call for strike action is engineered by Ms Coretta Mc Donald, someone closely associated with the opposition APNU+AFC coalition. She currently wears multiple hats, that of a Member of Parliament, General-Secretary of the Guyana Teacher’s Union, opposition activist and host to programmes on social media that are pro-opposition and anti-government.

It is not difficult to see the connection between the call for strike action and the political predisposition of those in the leadership of the union. There appears to be a leadership cabal that has seemingly placed political loyalty over the health and well-being of those who they purportedly seek to represent.

The union, from all appearances, is seeking to play politics with the lives of its membership, and for that matter the society as a whole including that of school children. Contrary to scientific evidence, it remained opposed to vaccinations of teachers or COVID-19 tests as a condition for entering the classroom. Such a position can only be seen as reckless and irresponsible.

The government has indicated that teachers who heed the strike call will be considered absent from duty and will have salary deductions made to the extent of the days absent. In its statement, the Ministry of Education has urged teachers, parents and school administrators not to fall prey to the political machinations of ‘Coretta McDonald and the small cabal of self-serving individuals they represent’.

It is unfortunate that the GTU, which has as its motto ‘Moulding Our Nation’ has opted to go down a road that is fraught with dangers for children, teachers and the nation as a whole. This is a dangerous precedent from the standpoint of industrial relations.

The fact is that executive actions aimed at protecting the health and well-being of children and the wider population are not unique to Guyana. There are several other countries where similar, if not more rigorous measures are taken without any great fuss. It is inconceivable that strike actions would even be contemplated by unions representing teachers in the United States or elsewhere even though similar measures are currently in place.

There is one possible explanation: A small leadership cabal led by Coretta MacDonald has hijacked the union and is playing political hardball with the intention of derailing the government’s vaccination programme aimed at reaching a state of herd immunity so necessary to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All of this is happening at a time when the infection rates still continue to be cause for concern and which, more than ever, require the support of all stakeholders including representative bodies such as trade unions.

The call by the GTU is uncaring and unconscionable and certainly not in the best national interest. The PPP/C administration has, over the decades, implemented several measures to improve salaries and working conditions of teachers and other professionals. Teachers received several benefits under the PPP/C Government including significant salary increases, duty-free concessions for senior teachers, reductions in Whitley Council leave entitlement from five to three years, among others.

The call for industrial action is likely to take the union down a slippery road, one that is likely to create deep fissures in the union. For one thing, it does not appear to reflect the wishes of the full membership. It also comes at a time when both teachers and students are eager and excited to resume the teaching/learning process after a prolonged period of school closure.

It is not too late for the leadership of the union to free itself from the tentacles of the political opposition. The union, by its actions, has proven to be less than honest with its membership. This could undermine its own motto of moulding the nation. It could undermine trust and confidence in the leadership of the union.

Our teachers, it must be said, are not as gullible and are likely to allow good sense to prevail and do the right thing. The welfare of our children is paramount.