The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) held their first day of conciliation yesterday at the Ministry of Labour, marking the start of a 21-day period to resolve their outstanding issues.
According to GTU President Mark Lyte, the two sides discussed clause number seven, which pertains to the timeframe for the agreement. The union has been seeking a four-year period from 2019-2023, while the government is proposing a timeframe of 2024, onwards. Lyte noted that, despite efforts to find common ground, no agreement has yet been reached on the matter.
“We spoke about [20]21-[20]23, we spoke about [20]22-[20]25; two years on our side, two years on their side. What we have been hearing [the] government saying repeatedly is that they can’t go back, they can only go forward,” he told members of the media yesterday following the meeting.