Utterly ridiculous reasoning from GPSU, GTU

Dear Editor,
Back in September 2018, during the infamous teachers’ strikes, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) firmly stated that “… the nation’s educators had received more under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration than what they (were then getting) under ‘this’ coalition Administration…” as it was the APNU/AFC (A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change) who were in power. At that juncture, and being very unhappy with APNU/AFC, the GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, voiced that “If we look at what transpired under the PPP Government when they were in power (prior to 2015) and what is transpiring now (2015-2017), remember we didn’t want the five per cent. We made noise about it. But with the five per cent, we got a whole lot of non-salary benefits.” She detailed then also that “For the first time in the history of this country, our teachers were able to get clothing allowance, duty-free concessions, and allowances for additional qualifications. While the PPP Government was in power — and you know I don’t want to sound political, but we have to make the comparison because of all the untruths they peddling out there…” Wow! What a condemnatory song against APNU/AFC, and conversely, what a panegyric for the PPP/C.
So, what now? This pro-PPP/C song should be louder and longer and with good reasons. So, getting back to that 2018 crisis, I recall Former President Bharrat Jagdeo stating that “… if Government (APNU/AFC) (were) to cut back on its wasteful spending, it would manage to cover a reasonable increase for the country’s teachers.” He noted at the time, there was money to fund a lot of what the teachers were asking for without increasing overall expenditure in the budget, pinpointing that the APNU/AFC Government had a corrupt contract, where an individual was being paid $14 million a month for a house at Sussex Street, Albouystown. In fact, the current VP and erstwhile President did itemise seven areas of wanton waste to the tune of $5.1 billion “that could have been easily cut, so that there was money to pay for the teachers better wages and the debunching for the teachers, housing allowance, all of these things… just here.”
Fast forward, and I see that this kind of thinking and philosophy is still with the PPP/C. For example, at the ‘Transforming Education Summit Leaders’ round table (part of the 77th United Nations General Assembly high-level week), President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali did disclose that Guyana was really into its education sector, explaining that “As part of our efforts to revamp the education system, the Government will increase education expenditure to 20 per cent of the National Budget and six per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, thereby ensuring adequate and sustainable financing for education.”
As a caveat, investment in the education sector is not just about ‘teachers and their interest’; it is far more complex and holistic, but even so, I can see that the Government is indeed ‘right into the teachers.’
For example, just a few days ago, the news headline read that there will be “Duty-free concession for 100 teachers, UG scholarships.” The word from Minister Priya Manickchand was that “Some 100 teachers across the country will be benefitting from duty-free concessions in the near future … (and as we know), this concession, issued by Government, will allow them to acquire their own vehicles without any duty commitments to be paid, thereby lowering the overall cost significantly”. The net effect of this is money in their pockets. The Minister was so forthright in her message to the country’s teachers, that she assured them “… that conditions and benefits for teachers will continue to improve… (even as she announced) that … several scholarships will be granted for them to study at the University of Guyana.”
It gets better as the news reflected that “All CPCE trainees will get salaries from January 2023” This is a ‘first,’ as “Currently, only persons living in the dorms are given a stipend of about $11,000. Now, this will be modified so that every CPCE student will receive a salary, since and rightfully reasoned by the Minister, “They’ll be in schools even as they are learning and so they are going to be paid.”
Editor, as my tone has reflected, I bear grievous angst that the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) are deeming the eight per cent increase (retrospectively to January 1, 2022) in public servants’ salaries as ‘disrespectful’, ‘arbitrary’ and ‘minuscule’. In fact, Joseph Hamilton, Minister of Labour, is rightfully incensed. His recent letter, “McDonald herself proclaimed that life for teachers was better under the PPP/C Government,” highlights this. He too noted that “… since returning to office, the PPP/C Government (has been) implementing holistic economic policies to lower prices for goods and services which have increased globally.” He added that “…we have reversed the punitive taxes that had been imposed by APNU/AFC on electricity, water, medical services and educational supplies, basic household necessities, and basic construction materials. (And so, like I stated) the salary increase should not be viewed in isolation, but in unison, with the several other measures, we have implemented since assuming office, all with the aim of improving disposable incomes for public sector employees and Guyanese at large.
Enough said.

Yours truly,
H Singh