Do not be “used as political pawns” – Pres Ali to teachers

…calls for patience, as Govt working on best welfare package

President Dr Irfaan Ali has asked that teachers exercise patience amid their protest actions for better pay, and has assured that Government is working on creating a welfare package that is incomparable with other countries in the Caribbean.
The Head of State attended the opening of the Guyana Technical Training College Facility Stimulator in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Friday, and he used that opportunity to contend that the strike actions currently ongoing are political in nature.
Ali sounded that there is no need to down tools, as teachers and other Public Servants are pushing at “open doors”. In due time, he assured, they would be compensated adequately. He said that while it may seem as though Guyana is an oil-rich country, the real growth is yet to come.
President Ali said in his address: “I explained to the teachers and Public Servants that we are going to work in an incremental way to ensure that you have the best welfare package than anywhere else in the region right here in Guyana, but it will take time…You don’t need to down tools, because you’re pushing at open doors. We are committed to this, but you have to have patience.
Everybody believes that all the resources (are) available now. In 2027, then is when the real growth of revenue is coming in, and will be seen in the country. I say to our Public Servants, ‘We are committed to giving you the best life possible. It is for sure that the current situation with the teachers has been overtaken by political expediency’.”
Towards the end of 2024, there will be a complete analysis of different categories of workers, where structured interventions would be introduced to allow for greater benefits, the President has said. At the same time, he has called for stakeholders to reciprocate their contribution in the process of incremental development.
“All of us have to give a little in this process of incremental development and patience. It’s not as if you’re going to get five years from now. This very year, I said an evaluation will be made for all categories of our workers,” he reminded.

Patience
Drawing example from the case of sugar workers, who have been patient as Government rebuilds and modernises the industry, he said that, in the end, Government would ensure that all workers are empowered to increase their net value.
“At the end of the day, it is not only your salary, it is what is your net value. When we build a road in front of your house, that was valued $5 million and because of the infrastructure it goes up to $9 million, this is $4 million increase in your net value. You can then take an asset that carries a higher value and go to the bank and get a higher level of capital. That is how empowerment goes,” he explained.
Such is the increase of one’s net wealth possession through the distribution of house lots. As such, the Guyanese Leader sounded a call for persons to recognise when they are being used as political pawns. He added that PPP Governments have a history of being on the side of workers as he lauded teachers who have remained in classrooms.

Political pawns
“I urge our people not to be pawns politically. I am saying to you, as your President, that it will get continuously better, and get better in a short-to-medium- term time; but you have to give a bit. Do not let yourselves be used as political pawns. We have tremendous love and respect for our Public Servants…You need not push against a hurricane; the wind is blowing with you.”
This week, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo announced that, at the end of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s term in office, graduate teachers will benefit from close to 50 percent increase in salaries.
According to him, the objective is to ensure that more teachers enter the skilled category by making such investments. This will ultimately increase the quality of education and learning for children.
Jagdeo also drew attention to the fact that $135 billion has been allocated to the education sector this year, to better working conditions for teachers. This is significantly more than the $52.7 billion allocated by the former APNU/AFC coalition in their last budget before demitting office.
A comparison shows that this now puts $694,000 per child for the 180,000 students in the sector, as opposed to $310,000 per year for 170,000 in 2019.
At the helm of the GTU leadership is General Secretary Coretta McDonald, who is also an Opposition Member of Parliament (MP). Calling it a political strike, Dr Jagdeo has urged teachers not to fall prey to such traps.
The GTU had initially informed that the protest would last for two weeks, culminating on February 16.
Additionally, the Education Ministry issued a statement later this week, stating that many teachers nationwide have refused to participate in the industrial actions to ensure students are prepared for the upcoming National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC).
Previously, the GTU had proposed 41 areas identified for better working conditions for teachers. Over the three years, the Education Ministry has fulfilled 25 of those requests. The areas in which the Ministry and the Union have not reached agreement include: salary increases for some scales (MoE has gone above GTU’s request for some scales), allowances, rehired teachers paid at the scale that they retired at, housing fund (which the Union has repeatedly failed to give a way forward for, although the fund has a few hundred million dollars put there by the Government), and salary scales for different HoDS and Sixth Form Deputy Heads, payment for the marking of SBAs, and house lots for teachers in each new housing scheme. (G12)