Debunching no longer possible- Chief Education Officer; GTU says several issues not financial, maintains there was no collective bargaining

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 March 2024, 21:51 by Denis Chabrol

The Ministry of Education’s Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain on Wednesday told a High Court hearing that there could no longer be debunching of teachers’ salaries.

He explained that with graduate teachers now earning the maximum in the salary scale, debunching was no longer on the Education Ministry’s agenda, though that remained a demand by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU). “What that means is that debunching is no longer possible because the maximum of the scale is what you are getting paid. There is no room on the scale for added increment,” he told the court in a case brought by the GTU.

Mr Hussain recalled that the previous government in 2016 had changed the starting salary for public servants and teachers that was payable based on the previous year’s salary. That approach, he said, had caused “confusion” because trained upgraded teachers received increased salaries and new teachers had been paid the previous year’s salaries.  However, that situation, he said, was remedied by way a Finance Ministry’s circular.

Meanwhile, GTU Vice President Julian Cambridge maintained his union’s stance that there was no negotiation in keeping with his affidavit. Justice Sandil  Kissoon asked whether that meant there was no financial benefit which amounts to salary increases and allowances that would help to push down the cost of living.

The judge remarked that in dealing with welfare improvement, some of the things may fall under collective bargaining.

Mr Cambridge disagreed that a number of decisions that had been taken by the Ministry of Education amounted to financial benefits. He said the creation of more senior vacancies, increased quota of teachers to attend university so that they would earn higher salaries after graduation, duty free concessions, grants, scholarships though tuition fees are paid, and the release of GTU executive officers on a full-time basis were not financial matters.  The union official added that “in my estimation” duty free concessions were not a financial matter.

Also not regarded as financial matters were travelling allowance, payments for improved qualifications, clothing allowance, Whitley Council leave allowance, and leave for staff of post-secondary institutions,

Government lawyer, Dharshan Ramdhani remarked that salaries for 2021, 2022 and 2023 were financial matters that were addressed but “whether it was done to your satisfaction is another matter.”

The union official said before the case started, 10 of 41 areas were addressed of which only one was a financial matter and 22 of 27 other areas were implemented.

After the GTU official said he was unsure about 41 proposals , Mr Ramdhani said “you know you were coming to court today and yet you did inform yourself.”

Going back to a meeting between GTU and the Ministry of Education on January 31, 2024, after Mr Ramdhani said those talks ended without any acrimony. Mr Cambridge added that the GTU never informed the Ministry of Education about a strike but referred to a correspondence.

Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde, representing the Guyana Trades Union Congress as an added party, said “the minutes did no reflect all that transpired at that meeting” including GTU President Dr Mark Lyte’s displeasure at those talks.

The cross examination of the Chief Education Officer continues on Thursday.

The GTU filed court action, challenging government’s decision to deduct salaries from teachers who participated in a 29-day strike to press for collective bargaining for increased salaries and scrapping of automatic deduction and remittance of union dues. The union also wants the court to declare that there must be collective bargaining for salaries for  2019 to 2023.

Talks collapsed last week after government said it would only consider a multi-year agreement from 2024.