Dear Editor,
I am responding to a letter written by someone claiming to be Anthony Nedd, titled ‘The GTU has made preposterous demands to the Ministry of Education’ SN, February 27). This letter, which was carried by three newspaper editors of the Chronicle, the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News is loaded with flaws and misinformation which is intended to mislead the nation’s teachers. Let me point out a number of things which are fictitious and mislead readers. I must state clearly that this proposal was put together after extensive consultation with teachers from various branches and was discussed at two General Council Meetings.
- I checked with the records of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and found that there is no financial member by the name Anthony Nedd, and neither does this individual exist in the records of Teaching Service Commission or personnel at the Ministry of Education. What moral authority, therefore, does Anthony Nedd have when it comes to teachers’ welfare? Further, I googled the name Anthony Nedd and found three such names, two of which are for United States citizens and one for a United Kingdom citizen. If this individual exits, then certainly he lives in a developed country and is earning much more than the 40% proposed and present teacher’s salary combined. I am convinced that the letter writer was politically motivated and has either used a false name or is based overseas.
- An across-the-board salary increase of 40% for 2016 cannot be considered ambitious or ridiculous since it is no secret that teachers are grossly underpaid in Guyana. Teachers are forced to do odd jobs to make ends meet monthly, since the meagre salary they receive is insufficient. A simple breakdown of a teacher earning $90,000 a month will show $30,000 for rent or mortgage; a $10,000 light bill; a $6,000 phone bill; $30,000 food for a family of four; teacher’s transportation to school $5,000; children’s transportation to school $10,000. We are already over the amount of money earned by the teacher. How many teachers take home $90,000 a month? We have not mentioned entertainment for the family and many other expenditures a normal family should expect. Is this being too ambitious or ridiculous?
- Let me now speak about the clothing allowance which is a meagre $8,000. The proposed $25,000 annually for a clothing allowance is not even enough to buy one day’s outfit for school. How many teachers can use more money for clothing? The military usually gets double salary in December so why cannot teachers enjoy this too. Is something wrong with us who mould the nation?
- Is there something wrong with asking for more scholarships for our teachers so that their tuition can be paid for them? The majority of our teachers cannot afford to pay tuition as can be seen from the salary breakdown I have given.
- The union asking for more duty free concessions and higher cc should not be seen as an issue, as we have been made to believe by the letter writer. At present only headteachers and deputy headteachers enjoy a one-off duty free concession. Having more concessions will make way for those persons who may never attain the position of head or deputy, since many persons currently holding those positions are very young. Opportunities will now be given to heads of department and senior masters/mistresses to acquire a duty free concession. The higher cc will enable teachers to be treated like any other person who receives it. Our students who go to Cuba for six years upon their return irrespective of what area they study, receive a duty free concession every three years of 2700cc, so what is wrong with teachers receiving the same?
- In order to better serve teachers as a union, officers must be released for more than one day. In fact the president of the union who holds such a critical position must be full time so that union activities and attendance at meetings will not be hindered. In the Caribbean all union presidents and general secretaries are released on a full-time basis to better serve their membership. If we want the GTU to be more effective and supportive of our teachers and the education system we must have officers available.
- I cannot recall ever attending any activity organized by GTU where a cheese roll and pine tart thrill was given to teachers. The GTU has always catered lavishly for its members when an organised activity was planned centrally.
- It is common knowledge that the letter writer is contesting this election as a presidential candidate and therefore attempts to tarnish the good reputation of an organization that has served Guyana’s teachers for over one hundred years. How can someone obsessed with the presidency of the GTU denigrate the very organization he hopes to lead one day.
- I conclude my letter by saying the GTU is bigger than any of its members hence, no attempt must be made by any of its members present or past to bring it to its knees. We must join in asking the true Anthony Nedd to show himself because we all know who he is. We must condemn his cowardly attempt to bring this noble, professional and longstanding organization into disrepute.
- We must all respect and accept the decision of teachers through the voting exercise and recognize that “long live GTU, long live trade unionism.”
Yours faithfully,
Mark Lyte
President
GTU
