Dear Editor,
I AM angry at the Guyana Teachers Union executives across the country for allowing themselves to be manipulated, pressured and coerced into striking against the Ministry of Education and the government of the day.

I am kerfuffled as to how the union representatives are allowing an unsuccessful trade unionist and languid worker representative like Coretta McDonald to convince them that they can somehow get the best results out of striking in that manner, crippling the education system and starving the nation’s innocent children out of learning. At least, that is what they think they are doing.

What did the innocent children ever do to the teachers’ union or the teachers? What have the children done to GTU to be used as collateral damage in this manner?

What will happen to children’s education, and those who have to prepare for CSEC and NGSA exams or tests?
What will teachers do if these little boys and girls display the same types of attitudes in later stages of life because they are seeing for themselves how they are made to suffer due to the striking?

Do teachers believe that their interests are not being heard? Do they believe that President Mohamed Irfaan Ali does not want to pay them what is fair and reasonable? Really?
The fact is the Ministry of Education has already met at least 25 of the 41 GTU demands to improve the working conditions of teachers.

I am aware that the government and the President are working aggressively to meet other reasonable demands. I also am aware that teachers benefited along with the public servants from increases every single year from this government and additionally benefitted from salary-scale reviews just last year, testimony to the administration’s commitment to the teachers’ payment and salaries issues.

I think that President Ali has announced recently another set of funds to improve the salary scales of our teachers and several non-salary interventions. This is far more progress in three years since the coalition’s infamous track record on the negotiations with our teachers.

It is an indistinguishable fact that the then Junior Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, had called striking teachers uncaring and selfish during the term of the coalition. President Ali and the Minister of Education have constantly supported the teachers and treated them with dignity and respect.

They have gone beyond the call of duty sometimes to make practical adjustments to the benefit of teachers, but the teachers’ union allowed their bosses and masters to bring politics and race into their relationship.

I want to be bold enough to opine that the GTU is not being taken seriously because its current executives and General Secretary Coretta McDonald are always playing racial and opportunistic politics.

I strongly feel that the union’s executive wants this government to support their greed and self-aggrandizement. They want this PPP government, from what I understand, to support them in getting several perks and to support their intended wrongdoings.

They do not like it when an objective person is calling it for what it looks like. They want to drive around in a Lexus SUV and have a supermarket and auto dealership at Rose Hall.

They are not hurt by this strike in any way, but our children and teachers are hurt. They do not think or care for the teachers, but are busy spreading the opposition narratives daily and using up the teachers’ union dues for their benefit.
After all, what has the teachers’ union ever done for teachers in this country, except to make them protest around election time and collect dues?

I am very livid and conflicted when I examine the timing of the industrial action and the reason. The Ministry of Education never said it is not interested to meet the union, but I think one would be hard-pressed to think if they will meet now under these circumstances.

If they are interested in talking and negotiating with the ministry and the government, they will go back to GTU headquarters and call the teachers strike off.

They will achieve two things by doing that: prove it is not political and engage in the process. Collective-labour bargaining in this climate needs maturity, respect, reasonable thinking and a will to sort out issues. It does not require politics to succeed.
The timing of the strike is suspicious and very typical of the GTU.

Trust me, industrial action, in this form, will bring about the changes the teachers want to see instantly.
This looks as if it is creating the platform for the APNU+AFC to electioneer to 2025. Mark my words, it is not the first time McDonald has used the GTU politically. Other unions that are anti-development and anti-PPP will follow suit.

I believe that our hardworking and dedicated professional teachers should not be in the sun protesting, but should benefit from proper representation and advice at the level of the GTU.

Finally, I think this whole strike is unnecessary and causes an interruption in the learning process and education of the nation’s children. This strike is illegally debilitating and the Ministry of Education must stand strong against this strike action.

Teachers deserve more to strike when the government is doing all that it can economically and financially to make them more comfortable is not the answer. Rome was not built in a day and financial sustainability has to be considered before granting another round of increases.

I propose the union call off the strike and recommence discussions on reaching a “fair” deal for teachers by this year’s end. While the discussions will include the GTU executives, they must not include Coretta McDonald or Mark Lyte. Other known politicians must stay away from this process.

The teachers will have regular updates which will be done in a joint statement or press conference to make sure that no misinformation or different stories are being told.
I still blame the GTU for pursuing self-interest, and partisan politics and for the unnecessary learning interruption.
Yours truly,
Michael Younge