By Samuel Suknandan
Attorney General Anil Nandlall announced that the government plans to appeal the High Court’s ruling in the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) case, despite not yet receiving a written judgment from Justice Sandil Kissoon.
Nearly four weeks after the ruling, the written decision is still pending, and the government has just two weeks left to file an appeal.
Nandlall’s office has formally requested the written judgment from Justice Kissoon’s Registrar but has yet to receive a response.
Given the urgency, the Attorney General intends to proceed with the appeal and will seek a stay of the ruling.
The High Court ruled that the GTU’s 29-day strike earlier this year was legal and valid, citing the government’s failure to engage in collective bargaining for higher salaries from 2019 to 2023.
The government, however, disputes this decision, arguing that paying full salaries to striking employees violates constitutional property rights and emphasizes the freedom to strike over an inherent right to strike.
Nandlall expressed confidence that the appeal would overturn the High Court’s decision, which some have labeled as landmark.
He contends that the ruling forces the government to pay for services not rendered, effectively taking away its property in the form of wages.
The government asserts that the High Court misinterpreted the difference between the freedom to strike, which it acknowledges, and the right to strike, which it disputes as unconstitutional.