Skip to main content

FM
Former Member

“We don’t want a clash” with teachers; govt offering what it can afford- Granger

 

President David Granger laying a wreath at the 1823 Demerara Revolt Monument

President David Granger on Monday virtually ruled out government making a higher pay offer and he appealed to teachers not to disrupt classes.

“The Minister of Education is working towards an agreement. We don’t want a confrontation, we don’t want a clash. We value the service of teachers,” he said hours after the Guyana Teachers Union reconfirmed that an indefinite strike would begin on August 27, 2018 and continue into the new academic year.

Granger told reporters that government could not afford to pay the more than 7,000 teachers more because monies had to be found to deal with other expenses.  “We’d urge the teachers, in light of the obligations of the government to other sectors of the economy…I think that some of the demands are justifiable and we provided the funds which could, in our estimation, provide relief to the teachers,” Granger said. However, the teachers have rejected an offer of GY$700 million to pay all categories of teachers for 2018 and GY$200 million to readjust the salary scales of some teachers.

Stressing that government was “continuing to work for a solution” in recognition of the teachers’ rights and government’s own obligations, the President reminded that the salaries of the lowest paid teachers have been increased by 50 percent at a time when government had to find GY$32 billion to deal with inherited problems in the sugar industry

“The teachers weren’t excluded, they weren’t ignored, they weren’t omitted,” he said.

After the teachers had last year threatened to strike, President Granger had set up a joint task force to resolve the dispute over salaries, allowances and other conditions of work. That task force recently recommended a 40 percent hike, but the Finance Ministry later said it could not afford that and allowances that were being demanded. After a review of the task force’s report by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan Cabinet had mandated Minister of Education  Nicolette Henry to make the latest offer totalling GY$900 million.

Aaron Blackman

Meanwhile, Aaron Blackman of the Bachelor’s Adventure village, at a commemorative event for the 195th anniversary of the 1823 Demerara Revolt , highlighted the importance of teaching and education. He called for a speedy resolution of the pay dispute. “I pray earnestly that the Guyana Teachers Union and the Ministry of Education can humbly, cooperatively and sensibly work to avert a strike that can seriously harm our national development programme for a very long time,” Blackman said.

The GTU executives planned to seek legal advice on whether it is possible to obtain a High Court injunction to block the Ministry of Education from deducting salaries for strike days because striking is a legal right.

Striking teachers will, according to the GTU,  not be receiving cash strike relief because the union cannot afford it.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

This is what should have been expected, spend...spend now cannot give proper salaries.  Meanwhile, the fatten themselves in the backs of taxpayers at a tune of 700k per day. 

The PPP needs to pick up of this and show what they intend to do differently to be able to pay teachers.  

The MO of the PNC leaves little doubt as to what will happen when oil starts to flow.  They are setting up for eventual failure.  

FM
Baseman posted:

 

The PPP needs to pick up of this and show what they intend to do differently to be able to pay teachers.  

Ture.  

The PPP didn't care about the teachers when they had a chance to pay them decently. So many fled to Barbados to become baby sitters and yet earning 3X what they were paid in Guyana.

The teachers have more leverage over APNU. Look at their ethnicity and you will know that Granger needs their votes in the LGE.  The last thing he needs is for them to run out and vote AFC in protest.

FM
yuji22 posted:

Let us see how teachers vote at upcoming LGE ? Will party loyalty trump their bread and butter issues ?

They aren't voting PPP because the PPP didn't treat them any better. Those 7k votes will go to the AFC in protest.

FM

How sure are you about that ? I will mark this and let us see if this really happens.

It is unlikely since most Guyanese see the AFC as PNC so an AFC protest vote is unlikely to happen. The ethnic makeup of teachers is most likely to vote majority PNC.

Who knows, the Democrats took African Americans for granted and they stayed home during the last election. This can also happen in Guyana with the Afro Guyanese vote.

2020 will be all about voter turnout for the two major parties. Then again, will rigging put an end to democracy ?

 

 

FM
yuji22 posted:

How sure are you about that ? I will mark this and let us see if this really happens.

It is unlikely sincemost Guyanese see the AFC as PNC so an AFC protest vote is unlikely to happen. The ethnic makeup of teachers is most likely to vote majority PNC.

Who knows, the Democrats took African Americans for granted and they stayed home during the last election. This can also happen in Guyana with the Afro Guyanese vote.

2020 will be all about voter turnout for the two major parties. Then again, will rigging put an end to democracy ?

Who are the most Guyanese ? present a break down.

Django
yuji22 posted:

How sure are you about that ? I will mark this and let us see if this really happens.

 

 

 

They have already threatened to vote AFC in the LGE if APNU ignores their demands.  The last thing that the PNC wants at this time is for AFC to do well in their strongholds.  This will make them vulnerable to demands by the AFC in 2020.

They are NOT voting for the PPP because the PPP was oppressive to the civil servants and undermined their bargaining power.

FM
Django posted:
 

Who are the most Guyanese ? present a break down.

Singh, Persaud.  Nobody else is Guyanese.  The man is ignorant and doesn't care the slightest of the political perspectives of non Indians.

FM
caribny posted:
Baseman posted:

 

The PPP needs to pick up of this and show what they intend to do differently to be able to pay teachers.  

Ture.  

The PPP didn't care about the teachers when they had a chance to pay them decently. So many fled to Barbados to become baby sitters and yet earning 3X what they were paid in Guyana.

The teachers have more leverage over APNU. Look at their ethnicity and you will know that Granger needs their votes in the LGE.  The last thing he needs is for them to run out and vote AFC in protest.

Why is it, everything with you is a race for the bottom!  You have little interaction with Guyana except on GNI.  So just stup up and let the teacher decide!

FM
Baseman posted:
 

Why is it, everything with you is a race for the bottom!  You have little interaction with Guyana except on GNI.  So just stup up and let the teacher decide!

having a meltdown as you know that these are 7k votes that the PPP will NOT get!. Multiplied by the other people who live in their households.

Yes the teachers will decide and it will NOT be a vote for the PPP who they have distinct unpleasant memories of a scant 3 years ago.

FM
caribny posted:
Baseman posted:
 

Why is it, everything with you is a race for the bottom!  You have little interaction with Guyana except on GNI.  So just stup up and let the teacher decide!

having a meltdown as you know that these are 7k votes that the PPP will NOT get!. Multiplied by the other people who live in their households.

Yes the teachers will decide and it will NOT be a vote for the PPP who they have distinct unpleasant memories of a scant 3 years ago.

Who gives a shyte.  If they prefer to deal with the PNC who fatten themselves while they scrounge, that's their choice!  ZERO interest to me!

FM
Baseman posted:
 

Who gives a shyte.  If they prefer to deal with the PNC who fatten themselves while they scrounge, that's their choice!  ZERO interest to me!

You would have been jumping for joy if they ran to Jagdeo, who in fact became an extremely wealthy man (all on his puny Guyana pay) while he gave puny salary increases.  In fact the teachers might well end up with more because they have more leverage over Granger.

FM
caribny posted:
Baseman posted:
 

Who gives a shyte.  If they prefer to deal with the PNC who fatten themselves while they scrounge, that's their choice!  ZERO interest to me!

You would have been jumping for joy if they ran to Jagdeo, who in fact became an extremely wealthy man (all on his puny Guyana pay) while he gave puny salary increases.  In fact the teachers might well end up with more because they have more leverage over Granger.

Looks like Carib is hallucinating. They are getting ZERO, NOTHING from Granger and you are calling that leverage ?

Bai Carib, you must be smoking cheap weed.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 poste

Looks like Carib is hallucinating. They are getting ZERO, NOTHING from Granger and you are calling that leverage ?

Bai Carib, you must be smoking cheap weed.

 There are getting a salary increase of 50% in some instances. I don't recall the PPP paying any teacher a salary increase of that.

FM

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×