Teachers’ strike: Labour Ministry will continue to hold strictly to what the law says – Min Hamilton

In light of the ongoing industrial action called by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton has reiterated that the Ministry’s position remains the same on the foundation that the two sides are still in discussions.
This was the sentiment of the Minister during a televised interview on Friday evening in response to the protest orchestrated by the GTU in front of the Labour Ministry.
“The intervention you are asking for us to do…We are not at that stage yet, because the parties are still locked in conversation,” he noted.
The strike, he emphasised, might have started where teachers indeed were venting their grievances, but it has since shifted purely into a political activity.
“You would see that maximum politicians and political types imposed themselves on this protest or this picketing exercise…So far, everything that they have displayed suggests that this strike is not about the negotiation between them and the Ministry of Education. So now, I suspect that they are seeking to have the Ministry of Labour enter into this conversation to mediate…As far as we know, the other party has indicated and will continue to indicate that we are still in discussions,” Hamilton stated.

He reiterated that more than 60 per cent of the legal demands have been met.
Added to that, he stated, “Some of them are thorny issues that we have to work through procedurally, and otherwise. I suspect that the strike will take a different turn on Monday… where the focus will now be, in my view, the Ministry of Labour.”
The Minister further added that an employer was not obliged to pay an employee who does not report for duty without a legitimate rationale.
“People are attempting to treat this controversy differently to other activities in the labour arena. This is an employer and a representative for an employee like any other strike. I want people to understand that… The law is for everyone,” the Minister posited.
The procedure, he added, as it relates to labour laws and relations has not changed and will not change. He opined that it could not change to satisfy one sector of the population.
For two decades, the GTU has not submitted its financial statements, as mandated by law, to the Deeds and Commercial Registries. For context, Minister Hamilton explained, “The law talks about that; any trade union that fails to submit their audited financial statements to the Registrar of Trade Unions can be struck off of the books.”
Furthermore, he emphasised that teachers should question whether or not the GTU was negotiating on their behalf or for itself.
Meanwhile, after one week of industrial action, the GTU stated the exercise would continue in the new week. Over the past few days, teachers have assembled at various points to protest for better wages and salaries and, more importantly, better working conditions.
GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald on Friday told striking teachers, “I want you to understand teachers that we are the moulders of the nation, we are the agents of change and we will change this situation. This is not about us only; this is about the teachers in training college and those who will come after us. And this change is also about our children,” McDonald said.
Meanwhile, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday also weighed in on the strike and asked that teachers exercise patience amid their protest action for better pay. He has assured that the Government was working on creating a welfare package that is incomparable to those of other countries in the Caribbean.
Ali stated that there was no need to down tools, as teachers and other Public Servants were pushing at “open doors”. In due time, he assured, they would be compensated adequately. He said that while it may seem as though Guyana was an oil-rich country, the real growth was yet to come.
“I explained to the teachers and Public Servants that we are going to work incrementally 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 will 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.