GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC -The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) says it has held “fruitful” discussions with representatives of the Ministry of Education, getting the government to agree to consider proposed salary increases from 2019 to 2023.
“We’re not going to accept single digits,” said GTU president Dr Mark Lyte, adding that the union had succeeded in getting the government side to back down from its position that the multi-year agreement should begin in 2024.
The GTU’s proposal provides for 25 percent in 2019 and 20 percent for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
However, in a statement late Thursday night, the Ministry of Education denied reaching an agreement with the GTU over the multi-year period for pay negotiations.
“The government maintains its original position that any multi-year agreement must start in 2024, not retroactively,” said Saddam Hussain, Chief Education Officer.
He described as “misleading” earlier media reports about the agreement, saying they created the false impression that the government has agreed there shall be a multi-year agreement 2019-2023.
“This is a proposal by the union that will be discussed,” the ministry said.
“The Ministry of Education reiterates its commitment to continuing dialogue with the Guyana Teachers’ Union, which has been ongoing and has produced several noteworthy results that will benefit teachers, children, and the system as a whole,” it added.
Lyte said that the two sides, which met on Thursday, also decided that instead of Terms of Reference, there would be “signed minutes at the end of each meeting,” adding “that becomes a binding arrangement at the end of every session.”
Lyte said he was “a little more positive” on Thursday than “serious disagreements” about the multi-year agreement.
“I think towards the end of the day, we were able to agree on the way forward so that this process will result in a signed document,” he added.
The two sides will resume what he acknowledged as “collective bargaining” next Tuesday.
The discussions on Thursday stemmed from a High Court-ordered mediated agreement between the GTU and the Ministry of Education, marking the end of a one-month nationwide strike by public school teachers for collective bargaining for increased salaries and allowances.
The Education Ministry said some of the matters identified for discussion by the GTU are the salary matters included in the multi-year proposal 2019-2023, a 2% difference in salary for 2017 and 2018, clothing allowance increase, and Whitley Council being paid every three years.
It has also identified teacher absenteeism and punctuality, poor-performing schools, continuous professional education, and syllabus completion as topics for discussion.
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