The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the government are today expected to discuss the way forward regarding negotiations on better salaries and wages as outlined in the union’s collective bargaining agreement.
This was revealed yesterday on the social media programme Advancing the Cause by Member of Parliament and GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald.
She was responding to a question posed by a caller on her programme regarding the status of the discussions on the collective bargaining agreement followed by a court-ordered mediation on Monday which succeeded in bringing a four-week-old teachers’ strike to an end.
After two days of gruelling talks, the mediation ordered last Thursday by Justice Sandil Kissoon produced results on Monday afternoon – breaking a deadlock that was entering its 5th week with the Ministry of Labour and the Chief Labour Officer refusing to bring the government and the union to the table and to find a way to cease these industrial actions.
The agreement reached between the two sides said that the teachers will resume work on or before Wednesday, March 6th, 2024.
The reference to financial matters is pivotal to the GTU as the government has imposed salary increases over the last four years without any negotiations with it.
These discussions are expected to take place in the boardroom of the Ministry of Education.
The agreement stated that “Both parties reserve all their rights under any agreement or the laws of Guyana”.
In the agreement, the government reiterated its commitment to acting in good faith and accordance with the laws of the country throughout the discussions. Meanwhile, the GTU also pledged to continue negotiating in good faith for the welfare of teachers.
GTU President Mark Lyte, along with the union’s Attorney Darren Wade, state legal representative Darshan Ramdhani KC and Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain, signed the agreement.
