“We are not leaving the strike empty-handed” – GTU calls on gov’t to meet them “halfway”
By Shemar Alleyne
With the resumption of the teachers’ strike on day 20, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has declared that the ongoing industrial action will persist until the government meets them “halfway.”
That halfway for the GTU is a 20 percent overall increase for the country’s educators and a definitive timeline for addressing the 2019 to 2023 proposal—demands the Education Ministry has rejected.
“The Union is committed, once you put before us, benefits our members; we are prepared to talk about it, but we are not prepared to go back off the strike empty-handed,” GTU’s President Dr. Mark Lyte affirmed in a Facebook live stream.
The government has rejected the Union’s demand for a 20 per cent increase, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many schools closed. However, Dr. Lyte emphasised that many educators continued to work during the pandemic, with some even losing their lives.
Furthermore, today marks 49 days since teachers first began their protests in February. Dr. Lyte urged the government to be the “bigger person in the room” and find a resolution, as the ongoing deadlock is detrimental to the nation’s children.
“The solution is not bullyism, the solution is for us to meet each other halfway,” he asserted.
The most recent meeting between the Education Ministry and the GTU ended without a compromise. Dr. Lyte criticised the absence of financially empowered negotiators, suggesting that the Finance Secretary, mandated by either the Finance Minister or the President, could offer a viable solution.
“I strongly recommend that the finance secretary be given a mandate by the finance Minister or the President to come with a position so that we can resolve this matter. Why are we allowing this to go on and on and on? The government has the where-it-all to bring this matter to an end.”
The GTU resumed its strike action earlier this month after talks with the Education Ministry collapsed following a previous four-week strike period.
To this end, the Union is calling on parents to advocate for their children’s education amid the impasse.
“The largest group of people that amazes me with their silence are the parents. Our parents have been silent. You, as a parent, your child has been denied an education, and whether it is the union’s fault or the government’s fault, you owe it to your child to raise your voice. This is unacceptable.”
Comments