By Shuntel Glasgow
The General Council of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has proposed three options that can be executed in the face of the government’s seeming reluctance to proceed with talks: resumption of strike action, arbitration and a move to the court.
GTU President Mark Lyte said the three options were outlined at a General Council Meeting last Tuesday, in response to the government’s failure to communicate with the union for 26 days on salary matters. It was unanimously agreed that once resumed, the strike would not end until negotiations are completed. The strike will resume at a date to be announced by executives of the GTU.
It was noted that the first strike, which began in February and went on for 29 days running into March, ended when the court ordered the union and government to return to the bargaining table. That process should have continued, ending in an agreement on salaries and other matters.