Pres. Granger, Dr. Lucas and Minister Scott playing with the nation’s future

Sep 30, 2018 Eye on Guyana with Lincoln Lewis, Features / Columnists

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It’s the second time since independence that an issue involving increased salary and improved working conditions has engaged the attention of the Head of Government, after which arbitration proceedings have been put in place in an attempt to resolve the conflict between the employer and workers. The first was in 1999 during the Janet Jagan presidency. Now we have the case of the teachers and Ministry of Education (MoE) in the David Granger presidency. However, there’s a stark difference in approach by the two to bring about resolution.
In 1999, the Public Service and Teachers arbitrations saw the Government, as the employers, making sure the Terms of Reference were agreed upon and arbitrators empanelled before the strikes were called off and normalcy returned at the workplace. This approach is consistent with good industrial relations practices. During discussions and negotiations attending to the impasse not only were there the technicians (Ministries of Labour and Education personnel) but also the then President, Minister of Labour, Minister of Finance, Prime Minister, and other ministers who from time to time joined the discussions. On the trade union’s side, active unionists outside of the public and teaching services played a role in advising the employer and affected unions with an eye on minimising tension in the society and seeking resolution soonest.
The handling of the current situation between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and MoE falls far short of applying good industrial relations practices. It begs the question whether the coalition government wants resolution or to leave the teachers to hang out there to dry as though to make an example of them for daring to demand that their right to Collective Bargaining be respected. There is this eerie feeling this corp of politicians think governance must be executed by command, none dare question or challenge, and all must fall in line. This is not how civilian government works.
You cannot send only technicians to the bargaining table because they are not empowered to make political decisions. They are mere messengers carrying out the instructions of the specific minister(s). One just have to watch the televised event to see how flummoxed these officers look when asked questions by the media or challenged by the Union. It is one of the most agonising and painful experience to see workers being placed in such an embarrassing position and where they have no mandate.
Then there is Minister Keith Scott who is recklessly making statements and acting on behalf of his bosses, giving the impression that he has authority, when in fact he has none. According to the Official Gazette, Amna Ally is legally the Minister that has responsibility for Labour. Scott serves as her assistant, assigned to overlook the Department of Labour. Heat must be applied to his seat as he wants to front the mess, insult teachers, violate the laws, and transgress workers’ rights.
The absence of understanding and leadership on the APNU+AFC’s part in bringing about resolution on the teachers’ matter has created a situation where officials are lurking from one misstep to the other, embarrassing themselves and those who seek to associate with them in the process. Last October, President David Granger intervened to avert the teachers taking industrial action by establishing what he called a ‘High level Task Force.’ This committee was appointed without being given Terms of Reference (ToR) to guide its operation. As a trade unionist, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen something like this. In 1995, the Cheddi Jagan government had cause to establish a committee to address increased salary and improved working conditions for public servants. That government solicited ideas from the Guyana Public Service Union, after which it arrived at a ToR, which the committee was given to do its work.
Where a committee is appointed without specific ToR it means that committee is allowed the scope to develop its terms to guide its work and whatever is produced is considered valid. The Task Force in its own deliberate judgment created a framework to do it job, submitted a report that included recommendations, only to hear months after that its Report is deficient. If so that deficiency lies not with the team but who appointed the team and failed to give it a specific ToR. The claimed deficiency carries with it qualitative and quantitative losses to this society as in manpower hours, intellectual input, transportation, utilities, meals, etc.
Person(s) is/are taking the teachers and the working class for granted. In fact, I want it to be recorded that this disrespect the society must not countenance. All have rights, including children, primary of which is the right to be respected and treated with dignity. The preferred antics of the Coalition government in dealing with the teachers make no sense. No sane person will call it a strategy because a strategy is goal directed and purpose driven and there is no sense in politics that ignores the working class who is primarily responsible for the nation’s productivity and at the polls represent 99.9 percent of the voters.
There is no wisdom that believes that in treating the nation’s majority constituency with contempt can guarantee high level of productivity or their votes at election time. What this government keeps ignoring is that while society wanted a reprieve from the PPP/C’s mismanagement of this nation and abuse of the citizens, society has no tolerance or patience, in any shape or form, for a repeat of what it has grown tired of and condemned. In this instance, the government is also making the PPP/C look good.
The political landscape and society’s thinking are shifting in a progressive direction. Loyalty to any party or group is no longer primarily tied to racial identity but is evolving into desiring an environment where respect and progress include me too, i.e. each and every one of us. The teachers are uniquely poised in our lives, for they are not only the custodians of our children in order that we can go to work and produce, they mould the minds of our children, preparing them to be good citizens and stewards of society, teachers are mentor, and many times fill the gap/responsibility in parenting. There’s none whose life was not impacted by a teacher or know not of a teacher.
Having repeatedly made errors in bringing resolution to the impasse- going on since 2015- which society has been weighing in and calling for good sense to prevail, last week, government by another act signaled it’s not listening or doesn’t care a damn. This act has to do with the unilateral appointment of Dr. Leyland Lucas as Chairman of the Arbitration Panel. Lucas cannot be appointed Chair of the panel without the consent of the GTU and MoE. Both parties on 6th September 2018 entered into an agreement for voluntary arbitration as against arbitration being imposed under the Labour Law, Cap 98:01 Section 4 (i.e. Compulsory Arbitration). It therefore means that Scott has no authority to appoint any chairman and Lucas is not chairman and these men must be told the facts.
When the MoE representatives turned up on 11th September to meet the GTU leadership to activate the process of selecting a chair for the panel, it is now proven their mandate was to deny every recommendation in order that the government can impose a chairman. And while the GTU asked for reason why its recommendations of Rashleigh Jackson, Dr. Aubrey Armstrong and Jeffrey Thomas were rejected and the MoE could not answer, Lucas’ CV is not superior to the named men. Neither has it been mentioned that he brings any experience in understanding groups and dealing with groups problems. Jackson, Thomas and Armstrong are more than fit and proper, given their expertise to objectively preside over the issue, but this does not matter to the coalition.
In the sea of ignorance, government failed to take the time to read and understand Section 4 of the Labour Law. Neither can it tell the difference between compulsory arbitration and voluntary arbitration. So focused government has been in imposing a chairperson on the GTU and MoE it missed context and content. This leaves me to ponder the idiom, ‘whom the gods want to destroy they first make mad’ because what this government is doing to the working class is not right and shall come back to haunt. From Lucas’ CV and the fact that he is a lecturer at the University of Guyana, it is reasonable to expect that he will not be led by the nose and shall seek after knowledge and advice on this matter.
Placed before me is a copy of a letter sent to the GTU by the Department of Labour on Friday, saying that Lucas has been appointed to Chair the arbitration. This appointment has no basis in law or the 1990 Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute Memorandum between the GTU and MoE. He has the opportunity to remove himself from this farce or face the wrath of the workers.

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