AFTER nearly a month of industrial action by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the strike is finally over, and teachers are back in the classrooms. After a court-mediated engagement, the parties agreed to go back to the negotiating table to re-commence discussions on salaries and other related matters of concern.

Make no mistake about it, the right to strike is enshrined in our Constitution. In fact, the current PPP/C administration has always respected such rights. The Labour Relations Bill, which was enacted by the PPP/C administration, protects the right of workers to form trade unions, and to have unions with majority support recognised.

Strikes, however, are not automatic, nor can they be called at the whims and fancies of trade union leaders, especially when there are seemingly hidden motives which have little or nothing to do with the welfare of its constituent members.
There are a number of steps that must be taken, which are embodied in the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) governing the relationship between employers and employees.

It is clear, in the case of the teachers’ strike, that these procedures were not followed. There is no indication of any violation of the grievance procedure by the Ministry of Education at any stage of the discussions. In fact, President Dr. Mohamed Ali himself has been actively engaged on matters pertaining to the welfare of teachers and educators, such as salary increases and other related benefits.

It is, therefore, hypocritical for the political opposition to say that the current administration has been less than responsive to the welfare and well-being of the nation’s teachers.
The records will show that one of the first acts of the new PPP/C administration of October 1992 was to increase teachers’ salaries by a whooping 50 per cent, which was further augmented by subsequent annual increases.

Indeed, the increases to teachers’ salaries had created an anomalous situation vis a vis those in the traditional public service where teachers were earning more than their supervisors on the public service salary scale!
It should be noted also that it was under the PPP/C administration that several other benefits were given to eligible teachers, such as paid Whitley Council vacation leave, duty-free concessions for motor vehicles, and access to educational opportunities.

As pointed out by President Ali, the call by the authorities for an end to the strike and a return to talks have been vindicated by the Court, which, by way of a mediation process, mandated the return of teachers to the classroom, and for a return to the negotiating table.

“Exactly what I have been saying all along; No different! Return to work and allow the process that was ongoing to continue. Why was this so difficult? The same request the Ministry of Education and Government have been making continuously. As a responsible government, we will continue to work in the interest of all workers, President Ali observed.

It is unfortunate that the industrial action by teachers had been allowed to drag on for such an inordinate period, with significant disruption to the education delivery system, only to go back to where it rightly belonged-the negotiating table. Someone has to be held responsible, and it is certainly not the Government nor the Ministry of Education.