Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 02, 2016 News
No response has been forthcoming from Government to appease the concerns of the Guyana Teachers’ Union
(GTU) regarding the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The GTU has moreover vowed to carry out its threat of continued protest action.
But although the plan was to stage protest action countrywide in front of the Ministry’s Departments of Education this week, the GTU has had to rethink this. According to GTU President, Mark Lyte, “The technicality is that we can’t take the teachers out of school unless they are on strike, so we will have to use teachers within a particular vicinity…we will have to ask them to use their lunch hour,” explained Lyte.
Protest action, according to him, will continue as soon as tomorrow (Wednesday, February 3, 2016) outside the TSC office.
“We will continue until the Government heeds our request to replace the Commission,” Lyte asserted.
The TSC and GTU are at odds over the promotion process of teachers for 2015. The GTU had filed an injunction which forced the TSC to halt its promotions until it could be proven in the court of law that its operation is above board. That matter is slated to be heard again later this month.
But the GTU last week decided to stage a protest outside the Brickdam, Georgetown TSC office to retaliate recent moves by the TSC to disregard the injunction and make appointments.
Among the actions of the TSC that the Union sees as worrying, is that of the recent promotion of a Grade ‘C’ teacher to a Grade ‘B’ school, which was regarded as an administration appointment.
Details of correspondence regarding the matter were shared with the media. Based on this correspondence, the TSC initially denied that such a promotion had occurred, but subsequently rescinded its promotion decision, complete with an apology which was forwarded to the GTU.
Another matter that has disturbed the Union is that of a questionable transfer of a Deputy Head Teacher to another school.
“When we learnt that an appointment was made, the Chairwoman denied that an appointment was made. She said that we were misinformed, but a day after she wrote saying she is sorry they are now recalling the appointment.
The Union is moreover calling on Government to replace the TSC including its Chairperson, Ms Leila Ramson.
During its protest action last week, Lyte said that “as long as Leila Ramson has been chairing the Commission, we (GTU and TSC) have had a shaky relationship.”
Lyte told this publication that “we have not heard anything from the Government in relation to the Commission being changed. We will continue to make our call; we will continue to protest…”
Currently the teachers’ promotion for 2015 has been stalled and the TSC, according to Ms. Ramson, is not in a position to even advertise senior vacancies for this year.
Justifying the need for the protest action, Lyte said that the GTU is seeking to represent the teachers of the public education system on the basis that the TSC has been treating them unfairly over the years.
“It is unfortunate that the matter had to be dragged before the court, but we did not see any other avenue to put some sense in the head of the Commission. Even with a court matter they are still stubborn,” said Lyte.
He insisted too that “we continue to fight to represent our membership based on the fact that for many years, over two decades or so, they have suffered at the hands of the Commission. We are not prepared to let that continue. We are prepared to have it resolved once and for all so that in future all teachers, once they apply (for vacant positions), can be treated fairly based on the system and how it should treat them,” said Lyte.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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