–-says illegal strike action is ‘wholly politicised’
THE Ministry of Education has said that it will no longer operate as a gracious agent for the collection of union dues that are remitted to the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

The Education Ministry informed the GTU in a letter dated February 6 that this decision was made in compliance with the ruling made by the Honourable Chief Justice Ian Chang in the Guyana Public Service Union v. Nanda Gopaul (number 584W/2000-Demerara).
The ministry made this announcement as the strike action moved into its second day.

According to the GTU, it is pursuing this action because the government would not meet with the union on several issues, including negotiations on wages, salaries, allowances, and other benefits for teachers. This is despite the fact that discussions between the Education Ministry and the union are ongoing, and the ministry has already satisfied more than half of the GTU’s 41 requests in just three years.

Despite the union’s demand for a strike, a majority of educators across the country showed up for work on Monday and Tuesday, according to the ministry.
While there are thousands of teachers in Guyana, less than 100 of them staged a protest in front of the Education Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown headquarters on Monday and Tuesday.

Led by GTU’s President Dr Mark Lyte, General Secretary of the GTU, Opposition Parliamentarian Coretta McDonald, the striking teachers are demanding salary increases and more benefits, including duty-free concessions.
There were also small groups of protesters around other parts of the country, many of whom were not teachers but traditional supporters of the APNU+AFC who would usually be on the frontline for the party.

Through its Facebook page, the Education Ministry shared updates on the industrial action, stating that 95 per cent of the teachers at various schools showed up for work.
Further, the Education Ministry in its February 6 missive, reiterated that the strike action is unlawful and has “become wholly politicised.”

The Ministry of Labour has advised the Education Ministry that conditions for strike action have not been met as a result of which any such strike would be illegal and unlawful.
Moreover, McDonald has faced backlash after revealing that a “corporate sponsor” is offering to reimburse striking teachers’ potential salary deductions.

“If they decide that they are going to deduct monies from our teachers’ salaries… that’s good news for us, because corporate sponsors out there have already pledged that they will reimburse our teachers,” McDonald stated.
She did not disclose the sponsor’s identity and the specifics of the agreement.

BARRAGE OF THREATS
“The barrage of threats disseminated by GTU across the country, as well as the racist sentiments and ethnically divisive rhetoric will never be tolerated by this government as we continue to build our beautiful One Guyana,” the Education Ministry’s letter added.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said it has received reports pertaining to the teachers’ strike action, indicating that persons are being intimidated and threatened.
The GPF said it takes these reports seriously and will investigate them.

The duration of the strike is unknown, but the Education Ministry has issued a warning that headteachers are not permitted to lock down schools. Following reports of teachers being refused access to school compounds, this warning has been issued.
According to the ministry, the closing of schools is the responsibility of the Chief Education Officer (CEO), not a head teacher or representative of the GTU.

“Any head teacher who is found to be in breach of these rules will be held accountable and will be referred to the Teaching Service Commission/School Boards Secretariat for disciplinary action,” the ministry said.

The Education Ministry thanked all educators on Tuesday, for continuing to be present at work and for ensuring that every child in the country gets the education they so well deserve.

The government “will continue to work tirelessly towards improving the conditions of all teachers across this nation,” the ministry pledged.
The strike actions come when students are preparing for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).