Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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West Berbice teachers protest against REO over unpaid salaries
A large number of teachers from throughout West Berbice, led by members of the National Executive of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, yesterday afternoon descended upon the Regional Administration office compound calling
Teachers during the protest action yesterday.
on the Regional Executive Officer, Ovid Morrison to resign.
Members present were President Mark Lyte; First Vice President, Lesmeine Collins; Regional Vice President Demerara, Collis Nicholson; Regional Vice President Berbice, Donette D’Andrade and Chairperson Woman Advisory Committee, Dolene Benjamin
According to President Lyte, the union was taking action against what they classified as dictatorial action taken by the REO to withhold three months’ salary of any teacher who wants to travel overseas during school break.
Teachers are concerned that – the REO having stated that he will withhold June salary for any teacher who intends to travel overseas during the upcoming school break – it is implied that salary for July and August will also be withheld; a situation that they classify as dictatorial and very unfair to teachers, since persons have bills to pay and mortgage in many cases.
The teachers are contending that it was a unilateral decision made by the REO, and that no such regulation is in place in any other administrative region.
REO Morrison, on the other hand, is claiming that he has only been following regulations which have been in place for years now, which allow for public servants to have one month salary to be withheld, when they indicate their desire to travel abroad on vacation, and the salary is released whenever the officer resumes duty.
Mr. Morrison, in an invited comment, said that he did not blame the teachers, and went on to say that there are some people who may have misinterpreted what he would have said, thereby leading to protest action on the part of teachers in West Berbice.
The REO has questioned the authority of teachers to have closed schools for half day yesterday to discuss the issue, before assembling at Fort Wellington at around 3:30 in the afternoon.
One retired Head Teacher who left the system over ten years ago, said that the regulations, then, allowed for salary paid to the teacher be suspended until that teacher would have resumed duty having been paid for the last month that teacher would have worked.
The GTU president claimed that while no official communication was circulated by the administration informing or reminding teachers about the regulation or policy, the union is in possession of a letter issued to a teacher in relation to the last Easter break, and the union must ensure that the same thing does not happen to teachers during the upcoming July-August break.
When asked if the union made any attempts to discuss the matter with the REO, Lyte said that while they were interested in discussing the matter, the REO was not so disposed, hence the protest action.
At one point the leadership of the protest group was invited to meet with the REO to discuss the issue, but members declined, stating that the REO needed to address the entire group rather than just a few people.
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