Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton said at a press conference today that he is in support of a possible industrial strike action that is expected to be staged by the Guyana Teachers’ Union following a no show of the administration on Wednesday for a scheduled meeting.
The Opposition Leader was asked by Guyana Standard whether he feels strike action by the union is necessary or just, especially at a crucial time where students are sitting exams.
Norton opined that the union is not being taken seriously, adding that it has made several attempts to meet with the administration to finalize a multi-year agreement which could see teachers earning two times their current salaries, among other benefits.
While it was previous administration that agreed to the multi-year agreement with the GTU, Norton said that the Government should have been cognizant of the immediate demands and constraints teachers are faced with in their daily lives. He believes however that the reluctance to honour the agreement is a tactic to divide and conquer the public sector.
“The government’s approach is not just to the teachers alone, it’s to the public service. The mere fact that they persist to divide the public service by way of giving bonuses to the military and not the teachers, it simply means that they mean to divide,” Norton said.
Against this backdrop, Norton said that he is in support of an industrial strike by Teachers. “If it means that it will send a message to the administration then I support them…,” Norton said.
Yesterday, government postponed its scheduled meeting with the union. No rescheduled time or date was provided. The union said the move indicates clearly that the administration “has nothing to offer teachers”.
