“There was a poor turnout,” said Meredith Hoogdorp, deputy chairperson of the Syndicate for Educators in Suriname. The deputy chairperson had expected a huge turnout especially given the fact that hundreds of teachers complain on social media platforms such as Facebook. She said that teachers claim that they are afraid to attend meetings as they are being threatened to steer clear from such meetings. Hoogdorp made it clear that teachers must not use this as an excuse but that they must stand up for themselves. She pointed out that some teachers have no money left after paying the rent and the utility bills. But the fight is not about getting a better salary but also about saying no to additional work because the schools that have no cleaners are forcing the teachers to sweep their classrooms before the start of their lessons. The Syndicate for Educators in Suriname did not make an official decision yet as it will do so at a general members’ meeting. “In the past we organized union meetings and there was a huge turnout at those meetings.” Hoogdorp explained that it seems like governments have to be threatened in order to respond to issues that are presented by unions because it seems as if the current administration does not feel obligated to provide a solution. “They know that a teacher has to make ends meet with SRD 7,000 to SRD 11,000. The poverty line is at SRD 17,000 but the gross salary of a teacher with an academic degree is SRD 11,000. The salaries of teachers who cannot go to work due to illness are frozen. But there is not a single government official who does anything about this. “The president should know that teachers cannot make ends meet with such a low salary. We were promised a meeting but we still have not received an invitation,” said Hoogdorp.

Jolanda Kerdijk, chairperson of the Syndicate for Educators in Suriname, pointed out that the Syndicate has repeatedly tried to get the other unions to join forces with them but that all of these attempts have failed. “We supported the strike of the Association for Lower Technical Education (BLTO) but I do not see those teachers here today. We will mobilize teachers via social media,” said Kerdijk. The union officials from the Syndicate for Educators in Suriname made it clear that teachers must start to realize who is actually fighting for them and that they must also join the fight for their rights.