Education and Local Government Ministries threaten striking teachers with legal sanctions

The Ministry of Education, headed by Minister Priya Manickchand, and Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, headed by Minister Sonia Parag, issued a joint public notice threatening striking teachers with legal sanction. The statement signed by the ministries permanent secretaries informed that teachers away from work as of Friday February 9, 2024 without approval will lose pay.

The public teachers proceeded on strike action Monday February 5, 2024 in an effort to have their employer, the Government of Guyana, respect their right to collective bargaining. This right is protected in Article 147 of the Constitution of Guyana.

In August 2020 the Guyana Teachers Union submitted its proposal to the Government for increased wages/salary and improved working conditions. This is February and the Government has not met the Union. Instead Government is doing its darndest to break the strike and dismantle the Union, using red herring to disparage the Union and deny its members the right to collective bargaining.

In 2018 when the teachers were on industrial action, the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government paid them for their days away from work.