‘You can’t build roads and teachers hungry’

Feb 17, 2024 News

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…GTU President says all citizens need a decent life

Kaieteur News- Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) President Mark Lyte on Friday told the Government of Guyana (GoG) that infrastructure development cannot take place at the expense of citizens, particularly the working force not being able to afford a decent life.

On day 10 of the GTU nationwide teachers’ strike, Lyte reminded that educators are showing no sign of abating. As such, he confirmed the continuation of the strike into the following week.  However, he said, “This strike should not have gone on for more than one day. If one day we were outside and you saw us, there should have been an amicable resolution to this problem, teachers all across Guyana have been saying one thing. We would like government to address the financial matters relating to teachers’ salary. That is the general cry and the general cry has come about because of the hike in cost of living, our teachers are complaining.”

He reminded that he cannot speak for other workers in the various categories as he was elected to serve the teachers of the country. The GTU leader said that he believes the government has the capacity as well as the resources to address the financial worries of some 14,000 teachers. He based his comment on the fact that the Irfaan Ali-led administration has demonstrated on multiple occasions that when monies are needed, the National Assembly is approached.

“Because when monies were needed to do things that were not planned for, government go back to Parliament, they do supplemental (supplementary budget) and the monies are voted on because of the governments majority. The monies are voted on and it is passed and wherever it has to go, it goes and the nation don’t complain because we want to see development,” Lyte said.

However, he underscored, “We are happy that development is taking place but development with infrastructure cannot take place at the expense of people not being able to live a decent life. That is the problem.”

Lyte highlighted that the government passed the country’s largest budget ever a few weeks ago of $1.163 trillion.  Of that sum, the largest chunk of the budget over $200 billion went to the Ministry of Public Works. “We h

ave the biggest budget and we have the resources, we are not buying that that there is no money (for teachers), not at all,” he added.

Despite repeated attempts to engage in dialogue with the government, Lyte lamented a lack of response and meaningful engagement on crucial financial matters affecting teachers. Lyte called upon the government to extend a formal invitation for meaningful discussions aimed at resolving the impasse and addressing the financial well-being of teachers.

He said, “We would like you to invite us formally to a meaningful meeting where we can agree on the terms of resumption and also timelines for the discussion on the financial benefits of our members.”

“We are not buying the saying that there is no money to pay wages and salaries, we are not buying that,” he added.

Moreover, Lyte described the government’s unwillingness to meaningfully engage the Union, as a standoff. He said the standoff could have been swiftly resolved through constructive dialogue and mutual respect.

“What we have had over the past nine days, today being the 10th is a position where the government has decided to standoff whether it is a position of pride or a position of arrogance, you be the judge but if we care, then obviously they should have been an olive branch extended on the part of government,” Lyte said.

He stated that the Union has recognised that the government seems to want to play a wait game, for the period of the strike that was indicated to end. However, he noted that the GTU has already notified the government that the industrial action will continue indefinitely.

In the political realm, the GTU President stated that the Union’s concern is what the current administration is doing for the welfare of the teachers’ and not a ‘tit-for-tat’ about what past administrations has done. He said, “But you know the Guyanese culture, is such that we always believe in blaming others for the undeliverable, we like to blame other people.”

Additionally, GTU’s President condemned recent activities of a ritual reportedly staged by a coalition party supporter outside the Ministry of Education. He said the Union dissociate themselves from such actions and underscored the Union’s commitment to peaceful protest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• GTU President, Irfaan Ali, Mark Lyte, teachers protest

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