The GTU yesterday issued a new ultimatum to government over collapsed collective bargaining talks and said it is prepared to call teachers back out on the streets.
The union’s move follows the breakdown of talks on Tuesday after the two sides deadlocked over which years they were to negotiate over. The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) said that the signed minutes of last week Thursday stated the negotiating period as 2019 to 2023 while the government’s new negotiator on Tuesday said that only 2024 onwards was up for discussion.
“We cannot engage in any discussion on a proposal we never submitted”, GTU president, Mark Lyte said in a Facebook address yesterday, stating that industrial action will resume if the government does not return to the negotiation table within a few hours to discuss salary increases for 2019-2023.
The union president stated in a verbal ultimatum that the union will return to the court to file an application claiming a breach in the court-ordered mediation agreement since the minutes of the meeting last week Thursday outlined what was agreed for discussion. Furthermore, the union said it would resume industrial action if government fails to return to the table to continue financial discussions. Lyte emphasised that the union is ready to resume talks focussed on the multi-year proposal 2019-2023.
“Our position is that we will not go forward unless you treat with the periods that the proposal addressed. I am issuing here a verbal ultimatum that within the next few hours if the government does not indicate their willingness to come to the table to discuss 2019-2023 or to negotiate around that period what years they are going to focus on, there will be a resumption of a massive industrial action.”
Teachers were urged to be prepared for the industrial action as Lyte emphasised that if they were able to endure the protest for five weeks then it can continue until the issue is addressed by the government. The strike started on February 5th and ended on March 4th.
The union is in the process of writing to give the ultimatum a time span in which the government should return to the table to address the proposal. Lyte reiterated that the discussion should surround the multi-year proposal. The resumption of duties by teachers on March 6 was intended to pave the way for the commencement of financial talks.
Witnesses
According to the minutes of the March 7th meeting that was signed by Lyte, General Secretary Coretta McDonald, Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain, and the Deputy Chief Education Officer- AHED (hinterland), along with two witnesses, the multi-year proposal from 2019-2023 was to be the first item on the agenda of the meeting om March 12th. Lyte refuted claims made by the government that the union did not include the multi-year proposal from 2019-2023 as an agreed-upon matter for discussion.
The minutes stated that the meeting between the two sides would facilitate discussions on salary matters including the multi-year proposal from 2019-2023, the 2 per cent difference in salary from 2017-2018, the clothing allowance increase, and Whitley Council being paid every three years.
The GTU president noted that the first breach by the MoE was on the day assigned for resumption of talks on March 12th, where six persons were part of the MoE team when it was agreed it would be five. However, the union let that pass, but then another followed when the permanent secretary, Shanielle Hoosein-Outar, who was announced at that meeting as the chief negotiator on behalf of the government, stated that according to their position, 2019-2023 would not be negotiated but rather 2024 and beyond.
Lyte said while the government reiterated that they will not address the multi-year proposal from 2019-2023, GTU has refused to go forward until the proposed period is addressed. He added that union felt disrespected when the permanent secretary advised that they should further engage their members and draft a proposal for 2024 and beyond.
In a union meeting on Tuesday, after the breakdown of talks, the GTU reiterated its mandate and concluded that based on the new position adopted by the government, there was nothing to be discussed at the meeting since their attendance was based on the agreement at the previous meeting. They were further asked whether there was anything on the chronological list to be discussed and the union responded in the negative while insisting that the order outlined in the previous meeting must be maintained.
The union is ready to accommodate talks for the years specified for the proposal, however they are not prepared to negotiate 2024 and beyond. Lyte further extended the union’s availability for continued talks only if the MoE is serious about the 2019-2023 proposal.
“We are willing to compromise on the years specified in the proposal; what that compromise will be is to be fleshed out over the table. The government has to return to the table to say look, we want 2024 and beyond but we hear 2019-2023, come and talk to us let have a compromise if you will. The union is ready for those talks but we are not prepared negotiate 2024 and beyond. That will not happen, our position is resolute in that regard.”
Lyte emphasised that the narratives about teachers not working during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2021) was unconscionable and served as an insult to those who risked their lives. He shared statistical data on the students’ performance for the NGSA and Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) examinations to justify the efforts made by teachers to assist the students.
Attorney-at-law Darren Wade, told this newspaper on Wednesday that he is still in the process of drafting the application to be lodged with the court and its details would be made available sometime today. Lyte also disclosed that the application would be a fresh one from that which is already in court, pending a hearing on March 20.
