Labour minister brands teachers’ strike illegal

LABOUR MINISTER JOSEPH HAMILTON HAS SLAPPED THE LABEL ‘ILLEGAL’
on teacher industrial action last week promising the move will hurt educators ‘bottom line’.
“If you don’t work you will not be paid… That’s the government’s position and I speak for the
government; you can’t expect to be paid for not working” Hamilton said adamantly.
He said, “any action that you call strike or protest against the Ministry of Education, it has no
basis it is illegitimate and it is illegal because you have no grievance with your employer, you
cannot strike against a government policy position enacted by the Ministry of Health.”
Hamilton laid out his government’s policy on the latest dispute on a television programme hosted
by the Director of Public Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, Michael Gordon on Sunday.
The latest Gazetted Order barring the unvaccinated from entering government buildings, which
means they will also be unable to receive services, some of which can make the difference
between life and death or worsening poverty sparked the dispute.
Hamilton reminded the nation’s educators that there is a grievance procedure laid out in the
statutes.

“I’m saying as Minister of Labour, advised by counsel and the chief labour officer that
everything about what they call a strike or protest is out of order. Teachers and public servants, if
they were not aware before tonight, they are aware now, that the fact that they have no grievance,
that is saying to the government that you are abdicating your responsibility to report to work and
therefore you can’t be paid, that is where we at.”
“I’m saying to you teachers that is the reason why your president or your general secretary has
not written, and will not, and cannot write the permanent secretary, indicating that there will be
strike action based on these grievances they have with their employer the ministry of
education,” he stressed.

Hamilton in the televised programme stressed it’s the government’s responsibility to protect
citizens against the highly contagious and deadly virus which has killed 4.6 million worldwide
and more than 680 in Guyana.
He noted that while teachers were vaccine hesitant, they prefer taking the jab but with the US-
manufactured Pfizer vaccine. The Russian-produced SPUTNIK V is the government’s preferred
inoculant for the population, although other brands are also publicly available.
According to Hamilton, local statistics indicate that sone 50 percent of local teachers are already
vaccinated, but not with the Pfizer. This, he said indicates that the General Secretary of the
Guyana Teachers Union, Parliamentarian, Ms. Coretta McDonald was inaccurate in her recent
pronouncements.
The education ministry last week appealed to all teachers, parents, and administrators not to “fall
prey to the political machinations of Coretta McDonald and the small cabal of self-serving
individuals who have hijacked the Guyana Teachers Union.”
The education ministry too warned striking teachers they will not be paid for the days they were
on strike. The ministry had urged educators to resist the “unconscionable call” of the GTU, in
favour of serving the children of Guyana and advancing their education and socialisation.
“Because the policy of the government is, whether, teacher or (other) public servant, if you fail
to adhere to the COVID-19 measures, which are: you have to be vaccinated and present your
vaccination card; if not, you have to do a weekly PCR test and submit the results to the
employer. Otherwise…you will be marked absent and you will not be paid,” Hamilton reiterated.