Education Minister Dr. Henry Jeffrey yesterday vehemently deplored the action by the GTU to withdraw from the administration of the competition which was scheduled to get under way today and tomorrow in Linden.

According to the minister, a letter from the union was received late last Friday informing him of the decision to withdraw from the annual national event. As such it would not be possible to make alternative arrangements for the event to proceed, he added.

Briefing the press yesterday at his Georgetown office, Jeffrey described the action by the GTU as "irresponsible and crass", observing that some participants, especially from the interior communities, arrived in Georgetown over the weekend and had been practising throughout the year.

"I think this has been disgusting, because they can do this to children who have been practising all year and who have already started to travel," Jeffrey declared, adding that some of the participants who came to Georgetown did not know anything about the withdrawal by the union.

He said traditionally, the championship has been managed jointly by the ministry and the GTU, and more recently with sponsorship from Nestle/Milo as a joint venture/partnership arrangement. The behaviour by the union is therefore surprising in the context that as one of the partners it has withdrawn from the championship because of a dispute on a separate issue, he said.

It is like "independent businessmen reneging on their responsibilities," he added.

However, the minister indicated that his ministry would provide help to those participants who have travelled to Georgetown already, especially those from the interior, to return to their respective communities, should they experience difficulties in getting back.

He also said that the relationship with the GTU as regards hosting of the championship would have to be reviewed to determine who is clearly responsible for the administration of the event, and perhaps tender out for private management of the championship.

On the impasse between the union and the ministry on a pay increase for teachers for last year, Jeffrey reiterated his ministry's position of not agreeing to arbitration to settle the dispute for last year. He reminded reporters that the GTU did not act timely in response to the request for its proposals early in the year, pointing out that the union submitted its proposals at the end of October last year.

Consequently, due to pressure from teachers to receive a payout like their counterparts in other sections of the public sector, and from the Treasury to clear all payments before the end of the year, a unilateral payment was made ranging from between five to 15 per cent, he said.

The minister said that a payment has already been made and is contending that it is not possible to revert to arbitration now.

He said the ministry has written to the union, advising that it is ready to begin negotiations now for salary increases for this year and is awaiting a response.

GTU has called on its members to strike two days a week with effect from last week, until its demand for the implementation of arbitration to resolve the dispute with the Education Ministry surrounding the issue of salary increases and working conditions are met.

However, the minister deemed the strike as being irresponsible based on what has transpired between the ministry and the GTU during negotiations

Giving a background to the strike, Jeffrey said the ministry is not against arbitration but after the matter had reached the Chief Labour Officer and discussions broke down, the GTU did not turn up for a meeting that was fixed for December 18 last year to discuss the arrangements and modalities for the establishment of arbitration.

He said the explanation given by the GTU for not attending the meeting was that it could not gather its officials together. This, the minister said, was surprising because of the importance of the issue and the union was aware of the scheduled meeting.