Education Ministry appeals to teachers to be patient ...as efforts are made to resolve salary concerns

Education Ministry appeals to teachers to be patient …as efforts are made to resolve salary concerns

Jul 05, 2018 News

A call to Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, went unanswered, as did another to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, when this publication sought to enquire about the progress being made into the long awaited remuneration package for teachers.
Although Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, said she was not in a position to comment on the matter since she was in a meeting, she did refer this publication to her Public Relations Department.
The move to seek answers from the government officials comes in wake of protest action by teachers within South Georgetown. The teachers, who represented a faction of the membership of the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU], were in fact reacting to a delay in the inking of a remuneration agreement for public school teachers.
A previous multi-year agreement expired at the end of 2015, and the union had since then presented a proposed agreement to the Ministry of Education. But the ensuing process of negotiation was stalled, a state of affairs which resulted in the union agitating its membership to engage strike action.
The strike action was brought to a halt when President David Granger opted to appease the situation by issuing a directive to establish a Task Force to fast track the process.
But although the process has been completed and a report handed over to Cabinet to chart the way forward, teachers have started to express concern that the process continues to be delayed. In light of this development, the teachers of South Georgetown decided to vocalise their concerns, even opting to protest their union on Tuesday.
Speaking on behalf of the Education Minister yesterday, in wake of the protest action, Senior Public Relations Officer, Brushell Blackman, told this publication “the Ministry of Education understands the frustration of the teachers regarding the length of time.”
He however noted that “one has to understand these things have to go through a process; there are a number of ministries to be contacted before you have finality. The Ministry of Finance has to sign off and so, but it can’t rush the document. They have to study the document, and we are all hoping to see this matter resolved at the earliest possible time…”
Blackman moreover added that the appeal of the Education Ministry at this point is for teachers to “be patient a bit longer. Teachers, the Ministry understands your frustration, and we recognise the work you continue to do to make this system better, but the Ministry is asking you to bear with us as we work out the modalities…”
According to the Senior Public Relations Officer, once the matter is finality resolved “we will be the first to share with you what is the position.”
In protest mode on Tuesday, Chairman of the South Georgetown branch of the union, Mr. Kerwin Mars, made it clear that the delay to act swiftly in the interest of teachers has in fact been overbearing and frustrating.
“These very teachers have to sit in the classroom and perform, and give of their best, and all the Minister [of Education] could say ‘oh good Common Entrance results, good CXC results and teachers we must thank you’. But nobody is saying ‘teachers we see your pain and we are going to get your money; nobody is saying those things.”
With placards highlighting their desire to see government address issues including salary, payment of debunching monies, suitable working environment, clothing allowance, among others, which were addressed during the negotiation process, the teachers stood on the Avenue outside of the GTU headquarters on Tuesday voicing their concerns.
GTU’s General Secretary, Ms. Coretta McDonald, in commenting on the situation said, “We cannot continue to wait for this agreement to be signed. Teachers have retired in 2015, 2016, 2017; teachers are retiring in 2018 and they will continue to retire. What do we say to them after teaching for 35 and 28 and 32 years? Are you saying to them that they will exit the profession without having their due reward? It is not fair to our teachers!”

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