Dear Editor,
In our beloved country where education stands as the linchpin of personal, community and national development and progress, the treatment of our teachers says a lot about our priorities. Still, despite the recent High Court ruling affirming their right to collective bargaining, and other related matters teachers find themselves in a bewildering limbo, grappling with a government- PPP/C- seemingly deaf to their pleas for fair and livable salaries. This has created a deep sense of discomfort and worry among our educators, in every region of this country.
The ruling, a glorious light of hope for educators across this nation, should have been used to facilitate a new era of respect and collaboration between teachers and the government. However, it does appear to have fallen on deaf ears within the corridors of political power, where the echoes of justice are drowned out by clinking of bureaucratic indifference. Guyanese must be wondering: why does the incumbent regime stubbornly persist in denying teachers the fundamental right to negotiate their salaries and working conditions? It is ignorance of their pivotal role in shaping the future generations, and our nation? Is it a deliberate disregard for the value of education in our society? Or is there a hidden agenda?
Whatever the answer, it is worrying, particularly in circumstances where there is an abundance of resources at the government’s disposal. With a massive influx of oil revenue lining its coffers, the government has absolutely no excuse for failing to provide teachers with decent salaries commensurate with their significant role in shaping the nation’s future. Sadly, teachers are left to fend for themselves, forced to resume strike action, a political environment where the government appear to care less about their plight and the education of our children and more about demonstrating power, domination and control.
The inaction of the PPP/C is a grave injustice that undermines the very foundation of our democracy. Collective bargaining is not a privilege to be granted at the government’s whim; it is a fundamental right enshrined in law, a cornerstone of a fair and just society. As a matter of urgency, the government needs to heed the court’s ruling and engage in meaningful dialogue with the teachers’ union to address their legitimate grievances. The future of our nation depends on the dedication and commitment of our teachers; it is time we started treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve.
I encourage all of our teachers involved, in this industrial action to fight for their rights to collective bargaining and fair compensation for the important work they do which contribute to national development. Our educators should not succumb to the pressures of this authoritarian regime; they must continue to raise their voices against the injustice meted out to them by the government; this is not the time for teachers to falter or look away from the uneven distribution of the nation’s wealth by the government. I appeal to all Guyanese not to lose sight of the history of the PPP/C. We have a duty to hold the government accountable for the duties and functions bestowed upon it to protect and care for the welfare of all of our citizens. The source of power exercised by the government is located among the people. Guyanese must use this power to force the PPP/C to create a society characterised by fairness and justice. We must refuse to settle for anything less.
Sincerely
Roysdale Forde S.C M.P.
