The nationwide strike by teachers is continuing with more teachers speaking out the Government’s continued reluctance to engage the Guyana Teachers’ Union as the second week of the strike action winds down.

In Essequibo, outspoken teacher Martin Samaroo, took to social media this morning and explained the hardships facing teachers and the need for the Government to get serious and begin negotiations with the union. He said the Government has been very unreasonable to the nation’s teachers.

He said too many teachers, including himself, are forced to do additional side jobs to ensure they are in a position to provide for their families.

“None of us are rich out here. All of the teachers who are out here, they are not rich. They are on the breadline. I am not embarrassed to tell you what I live in, I am not embarrassed to tell you its a one-bedroom house, I am not embarrassed to tell you that I wish I had it better, because its real, and those of you who know where I live, you know its real. And there are certain things that we want to accomplish and certain things we want to put in place for our families, and we can’t have it happen because of what is happening to us in this profession, is modern day slavery”, he said.

In some parts of the Essequibo region, some striking teachers have opted to return to their jobs, even as the strike continues, while others have chosen to stay on the picket line or strike for just a few hours in the morning. Mr. Samaroo said he is aware than many of the teachers in the Essequibo are afraid of being victimized and he is sure that he will be victimized for the position that he has taken to stand up and speak out for his fellow teachers.

“I want you to know that the level of victimization I will receive is probably going to be more than I can bear in the system, and I want you to know that. Because my face has been plastered on the live rebuking the wickedness in the powers that be, and I am going to suffer and I know that. But I rather suffer for a cause than to bow out and be a coward. I rather suffer for a cause for the teachers”, Mr. Martin said.

The Government continues to accuse the Guyana Teachers Union of engaging in an illegal strike action that is political. The Essequibo teacher said the strike is not political, and it is about real bread and butter issues for many teachers like himself, who have committed their entire professional life to the teaching profession.

He said teachers have found themselves being a slave to system, but noted that he will continue to stand up for all teachers, especially those who have not been coming out and joining the strike action.

Many teachers have been calling on the Government to return to the negotiating table and start to engage the union on salary increases and other issues related to their job. President Irfaan Ali has asked teachers to be patient, but the with union submitting its proposal for salary increases three years ago and the negotiations stalled, teachers now say they have no more patience left.

Related posts:

GTU files Court action to block Government’s plan to cut salaries of striking teachers Government confirms salary deductions for striking teachers Government decides to stop deducting union fees from teachers’ salaries for GTU with immediate effect GTU encourages teachers to know their worth as it laments high number of teachers seeking early retirement