National athletics c/ships off
by Clyde Pestano
Stabroek News
March 11, 2003
The 44th annual Ministry of Education /Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) track and field, cycling and swimming championships are off because of industrial action by teachers from the GTU.
This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Hydar Ally at a press conference yesterday at the Minister's Office.
Ally disclosed that the Ministry decided that it may be necessary to reschedule the championships which were scheduled to begin today at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden.
According to Ally, GTU sent him a letter last Friday informing him of the union's decision not to be a part of the activity.
According to the PS, GTU claimed that it had embarked on industrial action which was scheduled to continue on the days the games were to be held.
As a result, Ally said, the ministry was being asked to run the championships without assistance from the union.
Ally called the action by the union irresponsible. He revealed that the union called his office informing him that some of the participants had travelled to Georgetown and were at the union's headquarters and the union wanted to know what the ministry intended to do about that situation.
The PS said: "We found that interesting because they were the ones who were managing the games all along," adding "We found it strange that they chose to write us almost on the eve of the games, which left us with very little options, because they asked us if we would take over the management and co-ordination of the games."
"That's not possible, not possible for the ministry at this late hour to put such measures in place", the PS charged.
Asked what will happen to those participants who had already travelled to Georgetown he said that some arrangement will have to be made to accommodate them.
And whether the games could come off at another time, Ally said "some rescheduling of the games can take place but, for now, I can't see it happening."
The PS could not however, confirm how much funding had been disbursed for the games saying he will have to confirm that with his accounts department. He revealed, however, that close to five million dollars had been budgeted for the championships.
Ally also stated that the children and other officials had been preparing mentally and physically for the championships months in advance and that the cancellation will be disappointing to them after all their hard work.
Minister of Education, Henry Jeffrey, at the press conference stated emphatically that the championships were a Ministry of Education, Nestle Milo and Guyana Teachers' Union partnership, and he could not understand how the GTU "could walk out and leave the partnership."
According to Jeffrey, "it is disgusting and we may have to review this kind of relationship with the union."
He explained that it is not good for the sponsors and others, who may have been expecting the championships to be run off.
He, like Ally also said that it was irresponsible of the GTU to pull out at the eleventh hour.
According to Jeffrey, "this is a joint venture and suddenly it has become a Ministry of Education thing."
The minister added: "The union seems to have mixed up its role." The minister later revealed said that the sponsors M. Beepat & Sons will still sponsor the championships but that they wanted the impasse to be resolved and the parties to come to some amicable agreement.
