Although Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine maintains that negotiations on wages increases are still ongoing with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the ministry has already instructed that differentiated increases, ranging from 10% to 1%, be paid to teachers from next month.
The instruction, which was issued via circular ED: 20/14/25, dated September 13, 2016, has prompted the union to accuse the ministry of imposing wages/salaries increases after abandoning negotiations.
The government has similarly announced a final offer to the public service union of differentiated wage increases for public servants ranging from 10% at the lowest scale to 1% at the highest, with payouts to begin next month.