It cannot be over emphasised that since 1993, when the present Government came to power by way of free and fair elections for the first time in twenty-eight years, its major concern was the starvation wages and salaries that workers were receiving in Guyana. Moreso, the wages and salaries received by Public Servants, including teachers, nurses and the police and army.

It is worth noting that between 1992 and now the Government has increased wages and salaries of the various categories of public workers to the tune of almost 600 per cent.

But, as it was stated before, this does not mean that they do not deserve more. In fact, all Guyanese deserve better wages and salaries.

Guyanese recall that under the previous PNC administrations, nothing was heard from the Guyana Teachers’ Union although the only increases known to teachers in those days were between nothing and two percent and there was not even a whimper from the union or the membership.

Guyanese are of the view that it is a case of “Rip Van Winkle and the headless horseman,” for suddenly both the union and its membership have awakened from a very long sleep and have suddenly become militant.

Have teachers so short memories not to remember the days of paramountcy of the party when they were forced to attend PNC rallies and conferences, or is it a case of both the union and teachers in a state of carefully contrived amnesia? There was not the faintest squeak from the union then. They dared raising a protesting finger in those days.

Decent minded Guyanese would have thought that the teachers and their union, in all decency would have waited on the presentation of the budget which is forthcoming which could very well have something for them.

Education Minister Dr. Henry Jeffrey pointed out too that the GTU failed to attend a meeting in December last year which was fixed to workout the modalities of an arbitration process. The excuse given by the Union was that it could not have mustered its members together. This indeed is incredible because a matter of such urgency and importance to the teaching profession and national development is given such scant consideration. This brings the question to mind: How concerned is the Union about the welfare of its membership?

The people believe that this alone shows that the union has ulterior motives in the present impasse and little by little their true colours are being exhibited.

Many Guyanese are mindful of the fact that when certain demands are made, especially those for wages and salaries, care should be exercised and fair analyses made as to the ability of the employer to meet them, especially when they are unrealistic, and the role these workers have to play in society.

A nation’s teachers are very important people and we support any move to have them treated with decency, but when some of them choose to forget that very important role they must play in molding the minds of our youth without due process, one is left to wonder how could those kids under their care, face the challenges of a demanding society when they would have reached adulthood.

Many people are of the view that because of the demands of society on some parents, most teachers play mother, father, brother and sister to those children and this alliance dictates the mannerisms of these children later in life.

Many parents note with trepidation the current action by teachers and apprehend the calamities that would confront them sooner or later, if the teachers do not exercise better judgment.

Over the years, teachers have been specially treated and received separate increases from other categories of Government workers.

The people remember that only last year when public servants received a five per cent across the board increase, teachers were awarded increases of five per cent at the top and fifteen per cent at the bottom.

Over the last ten years, the Government has spent some $10.8 billion in the education sector, improving it from $ 1 billion under the PNC government.