High Court mediation on teachers’ strike continues next week

Last Updated on Friday, 1 March 2024, 17:02 by Denis Chabrol

The High Court-mandated mediation between the Guyana Teachers’ Union and the Guyana government ended its first day on Friday, with a commitment for the process to continue next Monday.

Lawyer for the government side, Dharshan Ramdhani did not speak with the media after the afternoon session ended at 4:03 PM. Representing the GTU was Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade who declined to say whether the two sides were closer to having the strike end. “I’m not prepared to say at this stage, thanks,” he said.

Mr Wade said the mediators- Attorneys-at-Law Robin Stoby and Edward Luckhoo- asked the two sides not to discuss the issues with the media and he also asked Mr Ramdhani to request the government not to do so as well.

Prior to the conclusion of Friday afternoon’s session, Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain and Mr Ramdhani exited the courtroom at 2:58 PM. After a brief conversation with someone on the phone, Mr Hussain handed Mr Ramdhani the phone who walked away and returned inside the courtroom at 3:01 PM.

GTU President Dr Mark Lyte told reporters on Thursday shortly after Justice Sandil Kissoon referred the dispute to mediation that he wanted the issue of increased salaries to be at the top of the agenda.

Earlier Friday, Mr Ramdhani and Mr Wade had struck an optimistic note at the end of the first round shortly after 12 PM.

The GTU is demanding collective bargaining for increased wages and salaries as a condition for calling off the strike.

The GTU is proposing a 25 percent salary increase for 2019, and 20 percent for 2019 to 2023 and an additional performance-based incentive of 2 percent annually of the total teachers’ wage bill to eligible teachers during the period of the multi-year agreement. Further, the union wants a GY$5,000 emotional/ stress/risk allowance; a  monthly Internet allowance of GY$10,000; a GY$10,000 monthly allowance to teachers who use their own vehicles to perform official duties, and a fixed monthly allowance of GY$7,000 for headteachers/principals to conduct business on behalf of their institutions.

Government is on record as deeming the strike unlawful and politically motivated.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that if the strike dragged on government would shift to Online learning.

The court-mediation process is an offshoot from case before Justice Sandil Kissoon in which he has temporarily ordered government not to deduct salaries from striking teachers and to continue automatic deduction and remittance union membership dues pending the hearing and determination of the substantive cases.

The GTU returned to the court citing a circular by the Chief Education Officer to all headteachers instructing them to continue recording absented teachers. “To be clear, the orders made by Justice Kissoon are temporary. The government of Guyana will not pay teachers for the days that they did not work. We are advised that a final order is expected to be made accordingly and consequently the information collected above will be utilised to determine teachers’ salaries,” Mr Hussain said in his circular dated February 27, 2024.

Mr Jagdeo, at his Thursday news conference, said the Ministry of Education would continue to collect information about teachers who are absent, insisting that a number of court cases had decided that workers could not be paid for days not on duty.