Suriname’s technical and vocational education system faces imminent paralysis as the Union of Teachers in Technical Education (BLTO) initiates severe industrial actions. Educators across lower and secondary vocational programs (LBO and MBO) have withdrawn their services indefinitely, demanding full settlement of outstanding payments that the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (minOWC) failed to deliver.
The crisis escalated Thursday when BLTO members expressed profound disappointment with Minister Dirk Currie’s inadequate response to their grievances. The union asserts that ministry officials demonstrate insufficient regard for vocational teachers’ welfare and vulnerable professional position.
At the heart of the dispute lies the government’s failure to process November 2025 payments specifically earmarked for vocational instructors, despite fulfilling financial obligations to other educational departments. The ministry also disregarded its January 2026 deadline to resolve payment arrears and reportedly rejected a proposed supplementary payroll solution from its own directorial team.
BLTO leadership emphasizes their continued efforts to maintain constructive dialogue despite these setbacks, presenting multiple proposals to prevent further damage to vocational education. They specifically highlight the accelerating brain drain of technically trained educators—a persistent issue crippling the sector’s sustainability.
With negotiations yielding no results, the union’s action plan mandates that day and evening program instructors cease work until all outstanding salaries are settled. Key demands include payment of salaries for newly hired teachers, part-time staff, and overtime compensation before January 31, 2026.
In an unprecedented move, the union is appealing directly to Suriname’s President. BLTO urges the head of state to: urgently implement teacher revaluation processes, expedite review of their petition submitted today at 09:00 hours, and address systemic policy and operational bottlenecks within vocational education. The mobilization includes a mass gathering at Independence Square at 08:30 hours for collective demonstration.