The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC), the umbrella body of trade unions in the country, has expressed its full support and solidarity with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) in its ongoing struggle for equal treatment and collective bargaining rights.
The GTU, which represents over 10,000 teachers across the country, has announced that it will launch a nationwide strike on Monday, 5th February 2024, to demand the government respect its right to negotiate its proposal on wage/salaries and working conditions, which was submitted in August 2020.
The GTUC, in a press statement issued on Friday, said that it holds the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, led by President Irfaan Ali, accountable for creating a bad industrial relations climate and violating the Constitution and Labour Laws of Guyana.
The GTUC said that the government has ignored the GTU’s repeated efforts to have its proposal addressed, and has instead subjected the teachers to various insults, threats, intimidation, and so-called entreaties. The GTUC said that these actions violate the Trade Union Recognition Act, which requires the employer to recognize the union and bargain in good faith with it.
The GTUC also accused the government of discriminating against teachers and showing contempt for their rights, while favouring other sectors such as sugar workers. The GTUC said that this disparity in treatment is part of the PPP regime’s contempt for sections of the workforce, which the GTUC will not tolerate.
The GTUC called on the teachers to support their union’s struggle and said that it also supports the GTU in taking all necessary actions to safeguard and defend teachers’ rights, which are protected by international conventions and local laws.
The GTUC also condemned the attempts by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to dissuade the teachers from taking industrial action by claiming that the government has done enough to remunerate them better. The GTUC said that this was an insult to the teachers’ intelligence and a sign of open contempt for their rights.
The GTUC also denounced the government’s efforts to sow division and blamed the GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald, who is also a Member of Parliament on the opposition side, for the impending strike. The GTUC said that this was a scapegoating tactic and a violation of the constitutional right to strike.
The GTUC said that it stands in solidarity with the GTU and its members, and urged them to stand united in their fight for better education. The GTUC also called on the public to support the teachers’ cause and understand the plight of the teachers, who are essential for the education and development of the nation’s children.
The GTUC said that it will continue to monitor the situation and provide any assistance that the GTU may need in their struggle.
The government has not issued any official statement on the matter but has reportedly deployed officials to various regions to persuade the teachers to call off the strike. The government has also indicated that it plans to meet with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), which represents sugar workers, to discuss their issues.
The strike is expected to affect over 200,000 students across the country, who are already facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of adequate resources and infrastructure in many schools.
