Teachers’ strike continues indefinitely; other unions likely to join in solidarity

Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 February 2024, 8:45 by Denis Chabrol

President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Dr Mark Lyte on Wednesday announced that the now eight-day old strike by educators would continue indefinitely, even as Attorney General Anil Nandlall did not rule out the police being called in on the union for failing to submit its annual financial returns.

He signaled that public servants might be joining the industrial action to press for collective bargaining for increased salaries and allowances. “We have gotten the solidarity and the support from the other units and they are going to show their solidarity in a tangible way as well so you may very well have other unions coming out, calling out their members and having a massive shutdown of the State. Is that what this government wants so close to a next election? Is it it that you want to anger the people that thrusted you into office?,” he said.  General and Regional elections are expected to be held in November, 2025.

He said that decision emerged from Tuesday’s meeting between the GTU and its umbrella confederation, Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).

Dr Lyte said the protest by teachers is expected to widen in the coming days, with plans afoot to stage a major protest in Georgetown by as much as 1,500 persons including teachers from Essequibo, all part of efforts to intensify pressure to get the government to go to the table to hold money talks. “We ain’t going back to the classroom until our demands are met. I give you my word, colleagues. This has got to end through productive dialogue and a commitment from the government hat they are going to meet with the representatives of the Teachers’ Union and they are going to settle our grievance in an amicable way,” he said.

The GTU President urged teachers to “stop complaining about salary cut” for being off the job as “we are in this for the long haul.” He estimates that as much as 6,000 teachers stand to lose pay for being on strike.

The trade unionist called on teachers not to be fearful of losing their homes and vehicles if they do not have money to pay their loans as a result of salary deductions. He also asked teachers to refrain from going to school to sign their time and then go on strike or stay at home and work.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Tuesday assailed the GTU for engaging in a politically motivated and “unlawful” strike against the government. He maintained that the union’s failure to submit audited and financial statements to the Auditor General and the Registrar of Commerce amounted to breaches of the law that could see the police being asked to conduct an investigation.

“For the non-filing of these annual returns, criminal offences have been committed dating back some 20 years. Now, if we were really vindictive and we wanted to go after the union, we could have passed the file over to the police and say ‘look, investigate’. These are criminal offences that have been committed. I am  not saying that the government will close the option, but I am saying that it is an option that is there,” he said.

Mr  Nandlall maintained that the strike is unlawful as the union and the government had been in discussions up to the time the strike was called.