By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: The Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) has offered to mediate in the conflict between teachers and government in Suriname, which has paralysed secondary schools, sources here disclosed.
Wilgo Valies, president of the Teacher’s Union (BvL), confirmed that the CCL has offered its assistance in order to seek a solution for the labour dispute. For a third consecutive week high schools were closed Monday, while disgruntled teachers, after a meeting, vowed to continue industrial action until all their demands are met.
Sources disclose that the CCL discussed the matter and, since the organisation maintains that education is a very vital aspect in Suriname’s development, it will assist in normalise the situation.
Negotiations with the government ran aground over the weekend when the teacher’s union rejected an appeal from the government to resume their duties. The teachers maintain that as long as there’s no result they won’t return to classes. While the government claims that most of the demands have been met already, Valies asserts the contrary.
Meanwhile Speaker of the House, Paul Somohardjo, is also intervening to bring an end to the strike. Several meetings with delegates of the union however failed to produce a resolution.
On Monday several student organizations and the Suriname Youth Parliament indicated that they will also try to broker a resolution. Youth organisations were due to present petitions to the government and the Teacher’s Union on Tuesday, pleading for a speedy resolution.
According to representatives of the youth organisations, while the strike continues it is the students who are the victims of the conflict. “Nobody cares about the students who have to stay home for several weeks now,” said Melissa Inge, Deputy-Speaker of the Suriname Youth Parliament.
“We are the ones being victimised, we will have to catch up with our study, not the government; not the teachers,” said Joel Lodik, chairman of the high school student’s body. He noted that the students are now expressing their discontent, since they didn’t expect for the strike last this long. |
