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Guyana
Teachers Union was a toothless poodle in the Burnham era
Dear
Editor,
Sometimes it is difficult to forget the past, especially when
persons or groups attempt to portray a heavenly past compared to a present day
hell.
The strike action by the Guyana Teachers Union is not only uncalled for
and absurd, but questions the credibility (as trade unionists) of the Central
Executive, many of whom were General Council Representatives, Delegates to
Conference or Central Executive members during the nineteen eighties and early
nineties.
These of us who were in the profession during that time would
recall some of the following hardships teachers endured.
1. Low
salaries
2. Compulsory deduction of 12% - 15% of their salaries to the
Personal Investment Account - for two years. The gross salary for a trained
teacher at that time was $600, the deduction was about $76 per month.
3.
Suspension of grants to schools. Teachers did fund raising to finance the daily
expenses of the school.
4. Being coerced to purchase defence
bonds, act as
blacklegs in the cane fields and to be part of the infamous People’s
Parade.
5. Indiscriminate transfers and dismissals.
6. Salary freezes -
etc. etc. etc.
In 1992 May, when teachers from Georgetown, North West, Upper
Demerara, West Coast Demerara and Wake-naam “came out” in solidarity with their
striking brothers and sisters in Corentyne for a living wage and better working
conditions, it was a “bread and butter” issue. However, it was not supported by
the Guyana Teachers Union (Stabroek Sunday 10th May, 1992 - front
page).
Teachers need to know now why the union took that stand. Many of the
present executive members were around then and may want to clear the air lest we
jump to our own conclusions. Was it because the union was pledging allegiance to
the government of the day at every Annual Delegates Conference since 1983?
Please tell us Guyana Teachers Union.
All is not well in the teaching
profession but over the years we have received our fair share of what the
economy could offer; as the following
shows.
Position
(
Salary at May
1992 PNCTime )
December, 2002
Acting
Teacher
$2,546.
$20,103
Asst.
Master 3,456.
38,400
Senior Asst.
Master 4,739
44,766
“C” Grade
H.M. 6,736
62,220
Also 1. Whitley Council Leave was reduced from 5 years to 4
years.
2. Teachers no longer have to do fund raising to finance the day to
day running of the school.
3. Most schools now have sweeper/cleaners
4.
Most of the schools have been refurbished, and many new ones built.
There are
many issues which the Ministry of Education needs to address (as pointed out by
the Guyana Teachers Union) but striking at this time is not the answer. The
present crime situation, protests in the streets of Georgetown and unwarranted
strikes would do no one any good. They lead to instability, lack of investment
and poor educational achievements.
Have the Guyana Teachers Union ever
considered that there are about a thousand or more of their members who have
been in the profession for years, are unqualified, have not improved their
qualification despite the millions of dollars spent on them through upgrading
classes, Guide etc. and that there are hundreds of students who left school with
five and more subjects CXC (including English and Maths) and cannot get into the
teaching profession? Are these unqualified teachers the persons who deserve the
highest increases? Is it not true that most of these teachers create the
overstaffing in many schools? What is fair?
Would it be fair for the Ministry
to say that all the unqualified persons must go, then use their salary (along
with whatever more the economy can afford) to give the increases the union is
demanding?
There are many unanswered questions. The Guyana Teachers Union can
have my support and many more if they can justify this action and convince us
that we are not being used as pawns for anyone’s personal or political gain. We
all can do with a few more dollars.
Yours faithfully,
Teacher
(name
and address provided)