GTU says most teachers will not benefit from Ali’s announced increased salaries, allowances

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 November 2023, 14:38 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Thursday criticised the increases in salaries and allowances that were announced by President Irfaan Ali hours earlier, saying that the majority of teachers would not benefit from the payout and is a clear breach of collective bargaining.

GTU General Secretary Coretta Mc Donald, deeming the announced increases for university graduates as “dismissive”, said they exclude graduates of Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). She said Dr Ali’s increases mean that only 4,000 of the 12,000 teachers would benefit. “This announcement by the President is direct response to divide and rule,” she said, adding that the increases for graduates “only speak for a few but the masses of teachers will not receive that allowance or that increase.”

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo later defended the decision to hike the emoluments of graduate teachers. He saidbthe aim was to encourage more teachers to upgrade themselves by studying more. “We want to give more based on qualifications,” he told a news conference.

President Ali also on Thursday announced that all teachers would get a one-off GY$25,000 bonus in December and a salary increase to be announced “very shortly.”

Ms Mc Donald said while the GTUC had been demanding GY$25,000 for holders of Master’s Degrees, government would be paying GY$20,000 and GY$30,000 to holders of Doctorates instead of the demanded GY$35,000.

The GTU General Secretary also pointed out that government has ignored the union’s request for an increase in clothing allowance, the provision of risk allowance, the reduction of Whitley Council leave eligibility from every four years to every three years. While on leave, teachers receive one month regular salary and another tax free.

Ms Mc Donald said the GTU leadership and members would be weighing their options, including legal action, after 21 days expire later this month on their formal request to the Ministry of Labour for arbitration on the question of increased salaries and allowances.

According to the trade unionist and politician, Dr Ali’s announcement was made in violation of the right to negotiations. “This announcement is a slap in the face of collective bargaining; one of the conditions that this very regime has signed on to,” said Ms Mc Donald who is also an opposition parliamentarian.

She flayed the President for ignoring the GTU’s letters but the administration only reacts by hurriedly summoning the union to meeting whenever there is a threat of industrial action.

The GTU’s proposal calls for a 25 percent across-the-board increase in salary for 2019, and 20 percent for every other year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) be granted to all categories of teachers\teacher educators for the years 2019-2023. The union is also asking for an additional  performance based incentive of two percent annually of the total teachers’ wage bill for all eligible teachers; a monthly emotional/stress/risk Allowance of $5,000, a monthly internet allowance for GY$10,000; GY$10,000 to all teachers who use their motor vehicles, boats and motor cycles to attend workshops, orientation sessions, emergencies at school, to uplift grants, pay sheets and/or are travelling for the conduct of Teaching Practice organized by the Cyril Potter College of Education; a monthly allowance of GY$7,000 to conduct business on behalf of their institutions.