The conciliation process between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the GTU came to an end yesterday with the two sides agreeing to move forward with multi-year talks from 2024 onwards, prompting questions about the dramatic shift in position by the teachers’ union.
According to statements released by both parties, the conciliation process concluded with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) proposing a new timeline for a multi-year agreement covering the period from 2024 to 2026. The MOE has agreed to this timeframe, and bilateral talks will now begin on July 11 at 10:30 AM.
The GTU had initially sought a four-year period from 2019-2023 for negotiations while the government had always proposed a timeframe of 2024 onwards. As negotiations progressed, the union amended its proposal to a four-year period beginning from 2022, which was also rejected by the government.