‘Teachers can utilise their sick days!’- Union Head defends sick out

Students who attend the St Angela’s Primary in Georgetown were left stunned and unattended on Thursday morning after teachers did not report for duty.

Instead, they joined a ‘sick out’ as part of collective industrial action, pressing for increased salaries.

These joined several others across the country who took the decision to withhold their services by utilizing their sick leave and urgent private affairs’ concession.

During a telephone call with the News Room, the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) President Mark Lyte said the action is fitting after proposed salary increases were not granted for three years.

“Would it be right for the teachers to be clamoring for three years without an increase, a proper increase?

“We have to look at it both ways, if the teachers decide that’s what they want to do, the Union supports it. They have been meeting for three years [and] nothing is coming out into the salary matter for teachers,” Lyte said.

Earlier in the week, Education Minister Priya Manickchand urged teachers to consider how this is affecting students.

On Wednesday, students were seen returning home and in other cases, loitering about the school’s compound. Substitute teachers assigned to some of the classes showed up but in many cases, the students had already left.

A source at the Ministry of Education reliably informed the News Room that officers from the Ministry were sent to the school.

How this collective action affects the students was asked of Lyte, to which he said, “You are just looking at it from the student’s point of view, while that is so, the teachers have been serving this nation all the time and until they stay away then persons know the value of teachers… when we are not there then we know how it affects classrooms, how it affects parents, how it affects communities, its time somebody addresses the concerns of the teachers.”

Lyte further said that the teachers have the support of the Union for deciding to stand up for their rights.

He explained that the Union made a proposal to the government for the last three years and with no attempt to negotiate the salary matters, the teachers have collectively taken a stand.

However, the Minister has stressed that the government is committed to ensuring that children are learning and all parties are comfortable.

As such, Manickchand reminded that several salary adjustments are on board for consultations by President Dr Irfaan Ali. Notably, she reminded that classroom grants and other benefits are allotted to teachers.