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GTU suspends industrial action for debunching money – Lyte
– hopes to have dialogue with new Govt. to discuss issue
Two weeks ago the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) made a decision to have its membership commence industrial action. The intent was to retaliate against Government’s non-payment of debunching money promised to teachers.
GTU President,
Mark Lyte
The promise was part of an agreement that was inked between the Union and the former ruling administration – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Work to rule was the preferred industrial action embraced by the Union. According to its Executives, the move was one that was designed to emphasise that teachers were no longer going to sit back and wait for their payment.
By working to rule, teachers within the public school system were asked to do the bare minimum in terms of work, or possibly return home each day if their working environments were not conducive for the teaching/learning process.
However, with the recent National Elections which saw A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition being elected to Government, the GTU has decided to halt the industrial action.
This development was confirmed by GTU President, Mark Lyte, who said, “It is only fair that we give the new Government a chance. We are hoping to soon have a meeting with the government to state our case and hopefully, it will honour the payment due to teachers.”
“So we have decided to suspend the work to rule industrial action until after discussions are held, and then we will decide the way forward,” informed Lyte.
Moreover, he said that the Union will this week disseminate correspondence to public schools to ensure that teachers are aware of the decision. More than 50 per cent of schools across Guyana had participated in the industrial action, according to Lyte.
The GTU President has expressed optimism that during the course of this week, a delegation from the Union will be able to meet with Government in order to ascertain how the debunching payment issue will be handled.
Teachers have been waiting 10 years for their debunching money which is outlined as a benefit, among others, in an agreement between the former government and the Union. The agreement, in effect, is slated to expire this year end.
When contacted just over a week ago to comment on the industrial action, then Shadow Minister of Education and APNU Chief Whip, Ms. Amna Ally, said that she was in full support of the GTU-orchestrated industrial action, and condemned the then ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government for not honouring its obligation.
Ally, who has been a teacher for many years but is currently a full-time politician, vocalised her earnest conviction that “the (then) Government must pay the teachers their debunching money.”
“Why they don’t want to pay the teachers?” questioned Ally. “I don’t know if they (teachers) will get it from this (PPP/C) Government because this is a ‘hard ears’ and stubborn Government; this Government does not respect people’s rights and all they are doing is (making) elections promises,” the politician had asserted.
As such, Ally said that the GTU’s decision to organise industrial action “is very much in order. I am supporting this.”
Ally was however, unwilling then to pronounce on whether the APNU+AFC Coalition will ensure that teachers are afforded their debunching monies if elected to power.
While the first week of industrial action had minimal impact on the public school system, Lyte disclosed that last week some schools did not have sessions at all. However, this was linked to the tension which followed the May 11, 2015, polling day activities.
“Teachers last week continued to work to rule but in a number of cases children did not attend school. This was because their parents kept them at home because of the tension,” observed Lyte who also pointed out that based on his knowledge, neither the industrial action nor elections tension affected ongoing examinations in the school system.
Currently the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) as well as Grade, Two, Four and Nine Assessments are being conducted.
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