By Khadidja Ba
In a move that has sparked outrage, the leadership of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has signed off on a new salary and benefits agreement with the Ministry of Education, despite strong objections from the union’s negotiation team and general membership.
The agreement, which was finalised in a meeting on Wednesday August 21, 2024, includes a 10% salary increase for teachers for this year; a figure many have deemed insufficient to keep pace with the rising cost of living in Guyana. “When we look at 10% and we do the calculations, and we look at equivalence in dollars, you tell us, how is 10% going to cushion the cost of living?” General Secretary of the GTU Coretta McDonald asked at a press conference held yesterday at GTU.
The agreement was struck after 75 days of industrial action. McDonald highlighted several key discrepancies between the government’s proposals and the union’s demands. Notably, there was a $10,000 shortfall in uniform allowances, and a salary increase that, after accounting for inflation, amounts to only a 5.5% real increase.