The Ministry of Education today announced that there will be a resumption of duties by teachers across the country.
This development, it said in a statement, comes after “successful conciliation efforts” facilitated by the Ministry of Labour, following a formal request for intervention by the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education had written to the Ministry of Labour on May 12, 2024 seeking their assistance in mediating the ongoing discussions with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) after there had been a breakdown in talks between the Ministry and the GTU regarding the question of which years the new multi-year agreement should address.
The statement said that the request was made pursuant to the provisions of the 1990 Memorandum of Agreement “the avoidance and settlement of disputes” between the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers’ Union and the Labour Act, Cap. 98:01, which allows the impasse in respect of the timeframe to be referred to the Labour Minister for Conciliation.
A meeting was held on Monday, June 13, 2024 at the Ministry of Labour and was mediated by the Chief Labour Officer.
Several meetings were held over the course of the past weeks. The statement noted that the GTU had been demanding a 20 percent across-the-board increase before resuming conciliation talks; however, the Ministry had rejected that claim as abnormal in the circumstances and an attempt to place the ministry under duress.
Further meetings were held which led to an agreement for teachers to resume their duties. The terms of the agreement are as follows:
1. There shall be an end to the strike and full resumption of work by all teachers/educators within two working days.
2. There shall be no victimization by either party.
3. There shall be no loss of service for any teachers/educators.
4. Teachers/educators will return to their respective positions held before the strike.
5. There shall be no transfers upon resumption.
6. That the status quo ante shall prevail subject to any ruling which may emanate from extant legal proceedings between the two parties.
7. Upon the full resumption of work by teachers/educators, conciliation will commence forthwith to determine whether the timeframe proposed by GTU, 2019-2023 or MOE 2024 and onwards should form part of a new multi-year agreement.
8. That both parties shall conduct discussions in accordance with the existing 1990
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, expressed gratitude for the “swift and effective response” by the Ministry of Labour and particularly the Chief Labour Officer.
“The Ministry of Education would like to thank the parents, students, and the public for their patience and understanding during this period. We look forward to a smooth transition as teachers resume their critical roles in educating and nurturing the future leaders of Guyana. We have a county to build”, the statement added.
