PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Jun 2, CMC -Teachers will remain off their jobs for a second consecutive day on Tuesday after emergency talks between their unions and the government on Monday, failed to end the impasse over a number of issues including salary increases.
“We haven’t quite reached an agreement yet. There are some points that require further elaboration. The agreement is to resume negotiations tomorrow at nine o’clock,” said Interior Minister Marinus Bee at the end of the first round of talks on Monday evening.
The unions, including the Surinamese Public Teachers’ Union (SOB), Catholic Education Union (KOB), Christian Teachers’ Union (COB), Union of Teachers in Technical Education (BLTO), IOB, Union of Teachers (BvL) and the Alliance for Teachers in Suriname (ALS), say teachers will only return to the classroom when firm commitments are on the table, adding that new promises alone are not sufficient.
“We are willing to listen, but the negotiations will not be called off without a result. We do not want to hear promises again, but to see concrete agreements and implementation,” one trade union leader told reporters
The unions are claiming that years of unfulfilled promises, the failure to implement the list of demands, and outstanding payments, including bonuses, salary scales, and allowances dating back to 2020 in some cases, are the main reasons for the industrial action.
The unions also state that the financial position of teachers is under increasing pressure and warn of a rising outflow of qualified educators to other sectors and abroad.
Chairperson of the Federation of Organizations of Teachers in Suriname (Fols) Bernice Barron, said that the unions are not satisfied with the outcome of the consultation on Monday.
“We looked at both sides, but not to our satisfaction. We will return tomorrow to see if something better comes out of it,” Barron said, adding “if our list of demands is fulfilled, then that will suffice”.
Bee said that the main differences lie in the area of allowances.
“We have made two proposals to increase the allowances slightly. But not to the extent included in the unions’ wish list. Those proposals have been rejected,” Bee said, adding “the Minister of Finance and the government will conduct the necessary exercise and see if we can expand our scope.”
The state-owned Suriname Communication Service (CDS) said in a statement that since no definitive agreement has yet been reached at the President’s office on Monday, the parties have agreed to continue negotiations on Tuesday in the hope of achieving a breakthrough
CMC/ak/ir/2026