Guyanese Government and teacher’s union continues battle over salary standards

The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) expressed that they held a “fruitful” discourse with several representatives of the Ministry of Education (MoE), and have convinced the government to consider proposed salary increases from 2019 to 2023.

The Guyanese Education System has struggled since the beginning of the year, with walkouts, protests, and public outcry. Teachers feel as if they are not being paid enough, the sentiment is so strong that several educational institutions had to forgo classes for days at a time due to educators’ unwillingness to cooperate until their demands were heard and acknowledged.

GTU President Dr Mark Lyte stated “We’re not going to accept single digits” and went on the suggest that the union had succeeded in getting the government to back down from the position they firmly held that the multi-year agreement should commence in 2024.

The GTU’s proposal provides a 25% increase in 2019 and 20% for 2020 throughout 2023. However, on Thursday night in a statement provided after a session of negotiation, the MoE outright denied the GTU’s claim of reaching an agreement in relation to the multi-year period of pay negotiations.

Saddam Hussain, the Chief Education Officer stated “The government maintains its original position that any multi-year agreement must start from the year 2024, not retroactively.” He goes on to describe the GTU’s statements as misleading, creating a false impression and expectation that the government has agreed to the multi-year period spanning back to 2019.

He suggests that the GTU has presented them with certain proposals that will be discussed soon. “The Ministry of Education reiterates its commitment to continuing dialogue with the Guyana Teachers’ Union that has been ongoing and which has produced several noteworthy results that will benefit teachers, children, and the system as a whole.”

Lyte stated, “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”. The negotiations will proceed next Tuesday. The discussions from Thursday arrive from a High Court-ordered mediated agreement between the two parties.

The conversation between the two extends far beyond monetary concerns, the agenda also identifies punctuality and teacher absenteeism, continuous professional education, completion of syllabus, and poorly performing schools.