…as GTU pledges to continue advocacy for better teaching conditions
By Jarryl Bryan
Teaching is often described as one of the most important but under-recognised professions, since the work teachers do helps to shape the minds of future
GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald
generations.
The battle one teacher faced to be paid his dues has left a discouraging impression on his mind.
Jason (not his real name) hails from the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, but was assigned to a city school in September of 2017. He was at first eager to begin his career as a teacher, but reality quickly set in, as he had no family in Georgetown and found it difficult to get by. According to Jason, he applied for a transfer in hope of being assigned to a school closer to home, and it was here that his troubles began.
The young teacher related to this publication that from September 2017 until February 2018, he was not paid anything for his work.
“When I got the actual school, I (realised) that I couldn’t afford to live in Georgetown… So I asked for the transfer. I went to the (Ministry of Education) on Brickdam,” the teacher related.
He related that one of the perquisites for being on the payroll was having a bank account. Owing to the stringent measures necessary for acquiring an account, Jason was initially unable to meet the requirements.
“I told them that I didn’t have a bank account, and it would be (difficult) to get one because of the banking requirements. So this put me at a disadvantage; I had to try to get the requirements just to get paid.”
But even with his bank account finally set up, months went by without him being paid. It reached a point where the young teacher was forced to seek a loan from the school at which he taught.
“When I went to sign (on the payroll), they said I had to be on the payroll for a month at least before you get paid. So I signed about early December, and they said I couldn’t make it on the January payroll, so I had to wait until February (to be paid),” he detailed.
“I had no funds to purchase personal items and so on, so I asked the school… if by chance they could help me out. And the principal said he could loan me some money until I got my payment. And I was given about $12,000.”
He was forced to rely on family support for the months he went without pay.
Advocacy for better
When contacted, Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Secretary Coretta McDonald was asked what the union has planned to address processing delays within the system for teachers. She noted that while the union does not work from within the ministry, its engagements and advocacy with the relevant authorities would continue.
“That’s what we’ve been doing for the longest while; we’ve been directing those complaints to our counterparts at the Ministry of Education. So far, we’re satisfied that in quite a lot of the regions we’ve seen changes, where teachers can go and have their issues addressed in a timely manner without the long delays that they used to have before.
“Like everything else, the (trend) is not going to catch in a lot of the places at the same time. So we still have some regions that are lagging behind,” McDonald said. “I know it’s a work in progress, but we are satisfied with what is happening right now.”
Last year, a task force was set up to examine outstanding problems with a view to their timely resolution, and to propose a new multi-year agreement between the Government and the GTU. The task force was expected to meet on a weekly basis.
The Union has accused Government of side-lining and disrespecting its members on the force, resulting in the Union threatening a countrywide strike if the Government failed to take decisive action to address the concerns of the representative body. The strike was scheduled for November 2-3, but was called off following a meeting with President David Granger and Union representatives.
During a meeting of the task force last month, it was reported in sections of the media that draft recommendations for things, including the improvement of the education system, were submitted by the GTU to the task force.
It is understood that once they pass muster at the level of the Ministry of Education, the recommendations would be sent on to cabinet.
