Inking teachers’ pay hike agreement in limbo

Last Updated on Sunday, 11 August 2024, 21:44 by Writer

The planned signing of an agreement for increased teachers’ salaries on Monday hangs in the balance because the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) would have the final say earlier in the day, an official indicated on Sunday.

“Let’s see where it goes by tomorrow (Monday),” GTU President Dr Mark Lyte told Demerara Waves Online News. He said the GTU’s General Council had previously issued a mandate to the negotiating team. He noted that General Council decisions are “usually binding”.

The union was demanding a 39.5 percent increase for this year and 30 percent for 2025 to 2026. However, Dr Lyte said the union had considered government’s offers of 10 percent for 2024, 8 percent for 2025 and 9 percent for 2026.

Earlier this year, thousands of teachers had participated in a 7o-day strike to demand collective bargaining for financial matters. The High Court later ruled in favour of the union, and the Guyana Court of Appeal is yet to hear government’s appeal.

The GTU and the Ministry of Education eventually returned to the bargaining table, after demands for an interim pay hike or a one-off cash grant of GY$150,000 per teacher pending the outcome of negotiations were rejected by the government.