you to
20.
This led to the formation of the GSNCTU in November 1972. Over the next
three months, teachers organised a poster campaign, a mass march to
petition the governor and mass meetings. In April 1973, 8,000 teachers staged
two sit-in strikes. The unified action of teachers in combination with some
public pressure and the intervention of religious leaders finally forced the
governant to urrender its position on salary scales. The issues of promotion
and employment have yet to be decided although the government continues to
implement its decision. Give the government's refusal to negotiate, it is
hardly surprising that prolonged impasse situations over critical issues
are common. Eventually the union concerned may decide to take informal action
rather than back down, This recourse has become increasingly popular
amongst frustrated union officials and equally frustrated members.
The atmosphere of growing tension on both sides is encapsulated by the
demarcators' dispute. In. 1974 this union attempted to negotiate a salary grade
change with the CSB. The Colonial Secretary and Governor were petitioned in
Receiving no satisfaction the union proceeded to institute
succession.
=
It
. peaceful picketing in the following year. A proposed mass march to the Governor's
residence during the Queen's visit in 1975 was prohibited. In 1976 the
demarcators began a-work-to-rule campaign. The government responded to this
by threatening and then-imposing an across-the-board,salary cut. The union
- successfully challenged the legality of this reduction in the courts.
won again when the government appealed. The Appeal Court, in making its
decision, pointed to the failure of the government to assess the specific
reduction in work output for each employee. It also noted that demarcators
had not stopped work entirely.
The union continued, its work-to-rule campaign until the government
conceded the salary increase. Union officials felt their actions had been
completely justified and expressed a willingness to undertake such action again
if necessary. For its part, the government was piqued by the Court's decision
and felt it should have adopted a tougher stance from the outset. One CSB
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