Dear Editor,
As of April 11, 2020, we recorded 45 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Guyana. This is indeed sad for our nation. I would like to indicate to your readers that GTU has issued a statement on their social media page, asking for full salaries for teachers. There is nothing wrong asking for full salaries to be paid during this time, since we all need to eat and ensure our households are well equipped with sanitising products. However, one may/or can ask the following questions:
If teachers are to receive full salaries, will all health care workers have a 200 per cent increase in salaries? Our health care workers are risking their lives more than anyone else is right now, and have a measly 30k of risk allowance (doctors).
If teachers receive full salaries, will the law enforcers also receive an increase in salaries? Since they are also risking their lives, and enforcing the curfew?
What about the fire service workers?
What about the staff at our airports/weather forecasters?
I have the utmost respect for our educators, some of my schoolmates went on to become educators and I know this dire time where all of our lives are at risk, this is unfair, because I am not sure if all teachers are teaching from home via the internet. If they are, how can we be so sure that each student has access to a laptop and/or internet access? (The one laptop per family initiative would have been so useful now.)
We are slipping rapidly down the wormhole because of the coronavirus and because of the slow movement of GECOM to make a decision to go forth with a recount. The ones in office are trying and they waited until they were criticised before making decisions that were to be made in the first place, only now. If we had a competent Government, I am sure each Guyanese would have benefitted from some sort of stimulus package and our teachers would not have to be asking for full salaries, our health care workers would be compensated handsomely for their hard work, as well as all other essential workers.
Kindly remember to stay at home unless absolutely necessary, sanitise and wash your hands as much as possible and most of all, stay safe!
Sincerely,
Katrina Niamatali
