Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall on Friday said the Guyana government would be appealing a High Court decision that declared that a teachers strike earlier this year was “lawful and legitimate” because government denied them their right to constitutional right to collective bargaining. “These are vacuous conclusions and that is why it has to be appealed,” ...
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High Court rules teachers’ strike justified, salaries cannot be deducted; govt must process union dues
Guyana’s High Court on Friday ruled that teachers’ strike earlier this year was justified as their constitutionally enshrined fundamental right to collective bargaining was violated by the employer-the government- and so they could not lose pay for days off the job. Justice Sandil Kissoon declared that the government of Guyana, as the employer, has engaged in acts which constitute substantial ...
Read More »Public Service Union demands conciliation, threatens industrial action; govt says ‘no’ conciliation because of court case
–Yarde refuses to talk about repeated failure to take industrial action The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Thursday said it dispatched a letter to the Ministry of Labour threatening industrial action and asking for conciliation, saying that there is a deadlock after three years of efforts to secure collective bargaining with the government for increased salaries and better working ...
Read More »Teachers’ Union asks High Court to order collective bargaining for 2019-2023 salaries
The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Friday asked the High Court to order the Guyana government to engage in collective bargaining for salaries for 2019 to 2023, three days after talks between the two sides collapsed. The union’s resort to the court through its lawyer, Darren Wade follows the position by the Ministry of Education that the budget does not ...
Read More »Teachers’ Union expects multi-year counter-proposal
Although the Ministry of Education has publicly ruled out negotiating a 2019-2023 salary increase, the Guyana Teachers’ Union says it expects a counter-proposal when the two sides meet again on Tuesday. “When we go back to the meeting on Tuesday, our expectation is that government will bring a position to the table to say ‘look, we’re offering this percentage for ...
Read More »Teachers’ Union sends list of financial matters to Ministry of Education for talks
President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Dr Mark Lyte on Tuesday said the union has tabled increased salaries and other financial issues for discussion with the Ministry of Education when the two sides hold their first meeting on Thursday since a court-ordered mediation agreement. He said the union dispatched a letter on Tuesday to the Ministry of Education indicating ...
Read More »Trades Union Congress asks High Court to join Teachers Union case
The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has applied to the High Court to be a party to the Guyana Teachers Union’s (GTU) case against the government because it touches on important issues that can affect other workers. In court papers released to the media on Tuesday, GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis listed those issues as the legality of a strike, ...
Read More »City Council workers’ industrial unrest averted by 6.5 percent pay hike, bonus
The Georgetown City Council on Wednesday unanimously decided to pay a GY$25,000 bonus to its 550 workers and a 6.5 percent wage and salary increase from January 2024, but they would have to wait until the council gets sufficient money during the first quarter of next year for their 2023 back pay. While the Finance Committee had recommended a 5 ...
Read More »Govt reluctant to negotiate unrealistic wage demands with opposition-aligned trade unions- Jagdeo
The Guyana government appears reluctant to engage in collective bargaining with recognised trade unions that make unrealistic demands for wage and salary increases and are aligned to the opposition, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo indicated Thursday. “When you look at it, they make some outrageous demands: ‘Oh, we want a hundred percent increase, we want 50 percent increase. In the whole ...
Read More »GTU says most teachers will not benefit from Ali’s announced increased salaries, allowances
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 ...
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