Former MP calls for review of Govt offer to teachers

– demands Union President explain himself before General Council

Trouble is brewing following the announced acceptance by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) of the Government’s increases for teachers, with some questioning how the Union went from the recommended 40 per cent increases to as low as eight per cent.
Vanessa Kissoon, a former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) parliamentarian and teacher who hails from Linden, took to social media to question the accepted offer while pointing out that a task force had recommended 40 per cent increases for the initial year of the agreement. As such, she called for a review of the decision by the General Council.
“It isn’t what it is until we go through the agreement with a fine-teeth comb and approve its signing by our leaders. Nothing is agreed to until all are agreed. The

membership will have to decide this,” Kissoon declared.
She spoke of reports that more than half of the teachers will not get any increase. This, she related, is reportedly because whatever the Government imposed in 2016 will be deducted from the 10 per cent.
“Is this a fact? How is it that an agreement is prepared accepting that many teachers will get no increase and on the increase, some will only be paid the difference between what they get and the new percentage? The teachers of Linden/Region 10 were told the leadership will not be accepting less than 20 per cent. Now we have gone to single digit (figures).
“The teachers in all 10 regions were told that the Union is going to arbitration and we supported it. We want valid reason for the change of mind. There needs to be a General Council to sort this out. Teachers feel they have been sold out by (GTU) President (Mark) Lyte. He needs to come forward and speak.”

General Council
According to Kissoon, teachers are in the dark about the details of the agreement. She, therefore, urged the executive to make the details public, but more so, explain them to the membership.
“The General Council gave you a proposal in 2015 to negotiate salary and non-salary benefits. It is reasonable to expect that you will return to the General Council to get approval to sign any agreement. That General Council will have to go to the membership to get their approval.
“Teachers’ approval is needed before any agreement is signed. The Union belongs to the teachers. The teachers want answers and opportunity to express their views on the agreement before it is signed.”
The former MP noted that a new agreement would alter teachers’ lives significantly. She also reminded the GTU executives that they were not negotiating

on behalf of themselves but rather a nation of teachers.
Kissoon went on to explain that when teachers terminated their September 2018 strike, it was with the full understanding that GTU leaders would be taking the issue of salary and non-salary benefits to arbitration.
“We stood by you when you called on us to strike. We supported you when you ended the strike with full understanding this is what you are going to do. Now, teachers are reading that you have said the Union will not go to arbitration. To the best of my knowledge, teachers didn’t know about this nor gave permission to not go to arbitration.”
“Mr Lyte and Ms McDonald, repeatedly, teachers were told by you that the Task Force recommended 40 per cent be paid in 2016 and five per cent for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. How can you move from 40 per cent to single digits without the arbitration panel saying this is what can be paid? Please call a General Council by Monday or Tuesday. Those in far-flung areas can participate via WhatsApp,” Kissoon added.
More than one month after a nationwide teachers’ strike was called off, Government finally agreed to increase the salaries of teachers by 12 per cent for 2016 and eight per cent for 2018.
This was disclosed on Friday at the Education Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown office, following a six-hour discussion between Education Minister Nicolette Henry and executives of the GTU.
At the time Lyte had claimed that the Union was “pleased” with the decision. But GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald had had a different outlook on the offer. She had declined to go into details, save to say that “teachers deserve more”.