Teachers demand the firing of the education minister as they go on strike

Happy Monday!

This week, we cover the teacher’s strike in the country as teachers demand the firing of the Minister of Education, a death at a gold mining site, and Suriname has reported infections of the Chikungunya virus spread by mosquitoes.

The Teachers strike and demand the firing of Education Minister Dirk Currie to President Simons.

• The Union of Teachers in Technical Education (BLTO) has formally requested President Jennifer Simons to immediately dismiss Education Minister Dirk Currie and two senior officials: Robby Holband and Natasia Bennanon.

• A petition outlining these demands was presented directly to the president, signaling escalating tensions between the union and the government.

• President Simons said she cannot promise the requested dismissals but she is willing to address several urgent issues raised in the petition right away.

• One key concern is the payment of outstanding overtime wages, which teachers say have remained unpaid since November 2025.

• Teachers affiliated with the BLTO began a strike, calling it their fifth action and stating they have exhausted all other options.

• The union cites persistent late salary payments, unpaid allowances, and failure to implement court rulings to fix payroll systems.

• BLTO also criticizes what it calls damaging and incompetent vocational education policies that dismantled a once-functioning LBO system.

• Poor hygiene, safety, and inadequate facilities at vocational schools, along with unequal treatment compared to other education sectors, remain major grievances.

• The union demands a new, competent minister, the creation of a crisis team, and guarantees of full and timely payments by January 31.

• Despite the president’s appeal to resume work, teachers remain on strike and will decide next steps after an internal meeting.

A gold miner dies in Brokopondo due to illegal mining which leads to unrest in the mine as the military is called in.

• Justice and Police Minister Harish Monorath expressed regret over the death of a 26-year-old illegal gold prospector at Zijin Rosebel Gold Mines in Brokopondo.

• He stated that the mining site has been extremely dangerous for a long time due to repeated illegal entry by gold seekers.

• Monorath emphasized that the mining company operates legally, provides jobs, and pays taxes to the state.

• He acknowledged that illegal miners enter the site to earn a living, but do so in life-threatening conditions.

• Illegal miners reportedly stay close to heavy machinery and rock-crushing installations, increasing the risk of fatal accidents.

• According to the minister, the victim fell into a mine pit during efforts to remove people from the work area.

• Tensions escalated when illegal miners refused to leave the site after the incident.

• Following the death, angry miners set fire to several company properties and vehicles.

• Police and later military forces were deployed to restore order, though officers were also attacked with stones.

• Monorath stressed that restoring calm and safety is the priority and that violence and destruction are unacceptable.

Suriname has seen the emergence of the Chikungunya virus that spreads by way of mosquitoes and can lead to fever, joint pain, and rashes. Symptoms can be more severe for vulnerable groups.

• Suriname’s Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labour (VWA) has confirmed an outbreak of chikungunya based on laboratory evidence.

• Tests show that multiple people have been infected with the chikungunya virus, confirming local transmission.

• Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which also transmit dengue, zika, and yellow fever.

• Common symptoms include sudden fever, severe joint pain and swelling, headache, fatigue, and sometimes skin rash.

• Laboratory testing by the BOG Central Laboratory and the Academic Hospital Paramaribo confirmed eight cases.

• None of the infected individuals had recently traveled abroad, indicating the infections were contracted within Suriname.

• The Bureau of Public Health (BOG) has launched an extensive investigation, including contact tracing and enhanced surveillance.

• The virus is not transmitted directly from person to person but through mosquito bites after an incubation period of a few days.

• While serious complications are rare, joint pain can last weeks or months, especially affecting vulnerable groups such as the elderly and pregnant women.

• Authorities urge mosquito control, use of repellents and protective clothing, and advise patients to use paracetamol—not aspirin or ibuprofen—while the public is kept informed to prevent further spread.