OPINION: Two Matters Complicate Teachers Receiving Increased Salaries:

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 February 2024, 13:08 by Denis Chabrol

by Retired Read Admiral  Gary Best, LLB; LEC; PhD.

President Ali needs to roll back on domination and control, take command of his government and order it to sit down with the GTU and negotiate a ‘real’ increase in salaries for the nation’s Teachers. We have the money in the budget!

According to Jagdeo, “…we’ve established already that the strike is political.” How? Only he knows! However, that’s a PPP tactic to label the PNC/APNU for the strike, as is clear from his continuous comments. But it is clear to all Guyanese that it’s our Teachers who are on strike. Additionally, the PPP government seems oblivious to the fact that Guyanese are increasingly becoming more issue based than previously. Further, the issue of adequate financing for the teachers is a ‘whole of budget issue’ and not just a matter to be misexplained within the allocation for education. These are decisional issues, not legal ones.

The problems our Teachers face with President Ali’s government in not receiving ‘real’ increased salaries, comparable with cost of living and corrected for inflation, has to be situated within the PPP’s political philosophy of ‘dominance and control’ and their wider failure to provide and subscribe to ‘good’ governance principles. The PPP Party starts off from the objective that it must dominate and control all sectors- public and private in the society, instead of seeking to cooperate with all actors across sectors. Naturally, such a philosophy is hostile to reasoning, hostile to cooperation, and hostile to discourse. Of course, in a Guyana ‘democracy’ where there is space for the ruling Party to be dominant, the natural consequences of discrimination and racial attacks, vindictive behaviours, dictatorial conduct, and violation of constitutional guarantees, rule the day.

Consequently, the Teachers’ strike continues across Guyana. The ten administrative regions are restive on this issue. Imagine, the regions under threat of annexation by Venezuela are restive on this issue. And the response of the Ali’s government, led by 2nd Vice President Jagdeo, is to dig in its heels and refuse to sit with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and negotiate ‘real’ salaries increase for our Teachers. Disregarding the process provided for under the collective bargaining agreement between the government and the GTU. Instead, the PPP, led by its 2nd Vice President, prefers to ‘cuss out’, demonize, threaten, victimize, discriminate, and insult the GTU and its Teachers. All vindictive, but the strike continued!

The 2nd VP direct reference to union activists as “old scamps” and other contributors, as “loonies” is a reflection that his logic is now illogical, his so-called armour badly pierced, his vindictiveness at peak, and the beginning of his diminished capacity. Why else would he call people loonies?  Further, the PPP labelling of this strike as political, is a failed attempt to supress the rights of Teachers to strike for better wages and salaries. Accusing the GTU and its General Secretary as racists, apart from being reprehensible, is yet another attempt at a salaries roadblock. So, is withdrawing the Agency Shop protocol and taking over the administration of duty-free concessions for the Teachers. All vindictive, but the strike continued!

Why is the 2nd VP accusing the GTU of racism? Is he a “loony”, like those whom he accused? Where is the evidence? Why is Jagdeo speaking on matters that do not fall within his gazetted responsibilities? No wonder there is so much discontent in the PPP. Why is President Ali allowing Jagdeo to use the PPP platform to speak on executive matters, such as the Teachers’ strike? These are dangerous moves that conflate PPP government with its Party in the effort to dominate and control all aspects of government and governance. All vindictive, but the strike continued!

Where does the 2nd VP get all this so-called authority? Does he have any such authority? In accordance with Article 102 of the Guyana Constitution, Vice Presidents are responsible “for assisting [the President] … with the discharge of his functions.” While article 103 (1) goes on to say “[t]he Prime Minister and “…every … Vice President shall be a Minister of the Government of Guyana.” The Official Gazette of 11th September 2020, referring to their duties states “[t]he Office of the Vice President Jagdeo lends support to the President in the execution of his functions with specific oversight responsibilities for finance, natural resources and the environment.” This is another way of saying the Vice President is an assistant to the President, which is the constitutional language. With that squared away, let us examine what appears to be a usurpation by the 2nd VP/Presidential Assistant of areas/matters that fall under other ministerial portfolios, and his use of the PPP’s political platform to deal with matters that fall within the executive branch of government. Neither of which is permitted by the Guyana constitution. Not to mention, no one knows what “specific oversight responsibilities” mean.

The Gazetted authority for matters dealing with education is the Minister of Education, and not the 2nd VP/Presidential Assistant. Article 107 of the Guyana constitution is clear that responsibilities not assigned to any Minister shall remain the responsibility of the President. Importantly, matters related to education and labour are assigned by President Ali to Ministers. The Presidential Assistant ought not to be speaking to the nation on these matters via press briefings. This is a usurpation of ministerial functions. Keep in mind that Jagdeo’s Ministerial appointment has not been activated by President Ali. Therefore, his duty is to assist, not usurp! Is this also a tactic to have the 2nd VP in Parliament but without the ‘indignation’ of being responsible to it and reporting to it? Is the 2nd VP above Parliament?  As appears to be the case, this PPP government seems to be more about VP Jagdeo and less about President Ali.

Additionally, two responsibilities (natural resources and finance) granted to the 2nd Vice President for oversight fall under specific Ministers. But, as the nation has been experiencing for the past three years, the 2nd VP operates as the government’s spokesperson on ‘everything and anything.’ No doubt such chaos redounds in a shut out of gazetted ministers operating and defending their portfolios, leading to bad governance decisions, to wit the continuing strike by Teachers.

Dr Gary Best is a former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, a Caribbean-trained lawyer and the holder of a Doctorate in International Relations. He is also a member of the Central Executive Committee of the opposition People’s National Congress Reform