Govt’s case against teachers strike defenceless

The Teachers’ strike enters its second week beginning tomorrow. The planning and execution by the leadership of the Guyana Teachers Union and the passion and energy demonstrated by the striking teachers across the Regions suggest the preparation for a long struggle. The Government on the other hand appears to be all over the place – literally and figuratively – and suggests that it is playing a waiting and words game.

President Irfaan Ali tells the teachers to be patient – he will look after them gradually and that things will be all right after 2027. Assuming of course that the price of oil will continue on its recent boom trajectory. The Vice President says he is not worried – the striking Region Six teachers will vote for the PPP/C in 2025, apparently claiming their indentureship to the Party. The AG recognises the teachers’ constitutional right to strike but leaving unaddressed the unconstitutionality of wage imposition, an ignominious practice this Administration shares with its predecessor. And Minster of Education and MP Datadin boast of this Administration’s generous salary increases since it came to power. It does not appear that they recognise that the increases have a crude average of less than 7% per annum over five years.

Notwithstanding its apparent collective resolve, the Government’s case is constitutionally, legally, morally and practically weak and defenceless. On the constitutional and legal question, the Constitution and the Trade Union Recognition Act are clear. The Government as an employer, must go through the

recognised unions. That imperative arose following a court ruling during the labour struggles under Forbes Burnham. This Administration must not try to outdo Burnham in dictatorial instincts and practice.

The VP can show that he is not spiteful by using his residual powers as an immediate step, to restore the deduction of union dues, which the Government will have to do as part of any settlement anyway. He, more than anyone of the current government leaders, was involved in and is aware of the impact of the 1999 strike by public servants. He must know too that the current leadership of the GTU is even better than the GPSU leadership in the nineties, and that the argument in those days about the inflationary impact of a significant wage increase was completely misplaced.

The Ministry of Education has put out a table of increases in salaries to various levels of teachers over the past five years, presumably to show how well they are paid. (I thank the Ministry for saving me the research). Here is my brief interpretation and contextualisation of those numbers. The increases over the period of 2019 – 2024 average 33%, ranging from 23% for the Principals of the Technical Institutes in Georgetown (GTI) and Linder (LTI) and Cyril Potter College of Education, to 39% for a Graduate HM of a Grade D school.

Now, compare that with other numbers put out by the Government. Over the same period, GDP has grown by roughly 310%, capital expenditure by 905% and current expenditure by 198%. It is difficult to deduce from these numbers a recognition of the importance of teachers for our country and economy, or a basic understanding by the Government of their own numbers. The contrast with contractors, many of whom pay no taxes, and with speeding up poorly planned and executed construction work cannot be starker.

With ministerial salaries almost doubled by tax-free allowances, they are out of touch with the skyrocketing cost of living affecting everyone. The collective Cabinet seems unable to understand and appreciate that for one thousand dollars in increase to teachers, more than $300 comes back to the Government in the form of income tax and value-added tax. That means that every $3,000 salary adjustment will cost the Government and benefit the teachers only $2,000. And they do not seem to understand that to measure the impact of the strike in percentages of nonstriking teachers is fallacious and misinformed. The absence of the striking teachers will exacerbate the existing shortages in almost every classroom and that even 20% of striking teachers will cause total disruption in the school.

This may not, however, affect many of the children of government ministers and officials who can afford to send their children to private schools, and even abroad. The statements by the President, the VP and their ministers show at best how little they understand and worse, that they do not care.