Talks between the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers’ Union collapsed on Tuesday after both sides convened to continue the collective bargaining to address salaries and other concerns.
Calling a press conference on Tuesday, GTU President, Dr Mark Lyte shared that the discussions should have been premised on negotiations for 2019 to 2023, as agreed upon in the first meeting last Thursday by Government’s chief negotiator, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain.
However, Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Shannielle Hoosein-Outar joined the negotiations and asked the Union to put together a multi-year proposal for 2024 and beyond.
As a result, the Union staged a walkout of the meeting and has further hinted that there could be a resumption of strike and court actions.
This negotiation process was the result of two extensive days of mediation at the High Court, which also saw an end to strike action organised by the GTU and teachers returning to classrooms.
Then, it was communicated that this process would have allowed both parties to ventilate matters of concern, a main one being salary increases for teachers. Reaching this juncture, the Union has signalled its intentions to return to the court.
“At this juncture, the Guyana Teachers’ Union will be informing its members on the way forward and we have decided that our members are going to utilise the means that is possible to show the administration that we will not be bullied in any negotiation or discussion…We are going to take this matter back to the court, where the court can adjudicate on the matters.”
Lyte added that the best recourse would be to have the matter settled through arbitration.
Abandoned
GTU President, Dr Mark Lyte
The Education Ministry has since said that GTU abandoned the collective bargaining process.
At the meeting chaired by the Permanent Secretary, she conveyed Government’s position that discussions surrounding salary increases should be from 2024 onwards.
She explained that increases for the prior years would have financial implications, and that the 2024 budget does not have the fiscal space to accommodate the retroactive payment of salaries for teachers for the period 2019-to-2023.
“Hoosein-Outar asked the Union’s representatives to submit to the Ministry a proposal which would capture their request for a multiyear agreement commencing 2024. Today’s (Tuesday) meeting reached an impasse after the GTU indicated that they are only interested in discussing salaries, particularly between the period of 2019-2023 and nothing else,” the statement detailed.
According to Government, the GTU maintained its determination to only discuss salary matters in relation to the prior years and refused to address the other 25 matters which were identified by both the Education Ministry and the Union for discussion.
It contended, “It should be noted that during the prior years, teachers have benefited from salary increases, salary adjustments that reflect teachers’ qualifications and incorrect calculations of salaries. Additionally, there were initiatives which were rolled out to the benefit of teachers across the country and which added to their disposable income as well as their welfare.”
Nevertheless, the Ministry reiterated its commitment to continuing dialogue with the GTU that has been ongoing and has produced several noteworthy results that will benefit teachers, children, and the system.
The Education Ministry was represented by Permanent Secretary Hoosein-Outar; Chief Education Officer Hussain; Deputy Chief Education Officer Marti DeSouza; Deputy Chief Education Officer (Admin) Tiffany Harvey; Human Resources Manager Jacqueline Simon and Senior Education Officer Kerwyn Jacobs.
Court proceedings
The GTU had filed court proceedings to block the Government from, among other things, cutting the salaries of those teachers who had been on strike since February 5.
During a hearing last month, the presiding judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon, named the Senior Counsels as mediators. This was done through the court invoking the Civil Procedure Rules 2016 Part 26 (Court Ordered Meditation).
Last month, the High Court granted Conservatory Orders for the Government to, among other things, continue paying teachers who were on strike until the court proceedings were determined.
Later, the Chief Education Officer was hauled before the court and ordered by Justice Kissoon to rescind a circular that was issued to Regional Education Officers to continue documenting the names of teachers who were absent from work in a bid to deduct their pay for the days they were on strike.
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Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer Hussain countered claims made by the GTU in its court proceedings that it was never engaged by the Education Ministry on salary-related issues for teachers.
The GTU said its General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, had wrote President Dr Irfaan Ali on April 18, 2023, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the way forward for teachers.
In court documents filed by the GTU (applicant) in February 2024 against the Attorney General of Guyana (respondent), the Union disclosed that only non-financial matters were discussed with the Education Ministry regarding its multi-year proposal for the period 2019-2023 that was submitted to Government in September 2020.
Hussain, in his affidavit to the court, pointed out that from August 11, 2020 until January 31, 2024, the GTU and the Ministry met continuously – on average once monthly, sometimes as many as three times per month. Those meetings, he noted, dealt with the demands of the applicant as well as demands of the Ministry regarding the general welfare and well-being of teachers and the best interests of the education sector.
“These engagements were very constructive and led to a large number of mutually-beneficial decisions and measures being implemented,” Hussain had stated.
In fact, he outlined, in his affidavit, some of the specific requests of the GTU since 2020 and the number of these requests which have been favourably addressed by the Education Ministry as well as the Government.
“These range from wage increases, duty-free concessions, scholarships, hinterland benefits, conditions for re-employment, welfare matters, grants and house lots,” said the CEO, who submitted these as an exhibit to the court.
Hussain further explained that the Ministry “successfully and satisfactorily” addressed 30 of the 41 proposals made by the applicant in the past three years, and of the 11 outstanding requests, two are specifically only to benefit GTU executive members, while two others cannot be granted because they are contrary to the laws of Guyana.
The CEO went on to note in the affidavit that the last engagement with the GTU on January 31, 2024 – a mere five days before the strike action commenced, was “very cordial and constructive and was conducted with an aura of camaraderie.” That meeting, he noted, concluded with a decision to reconvene on February 21, 2024.
“There was absolutely no animosity nor acrimony between the parties when they parted company.”
The legal proceedings filed by the GTU was to block the Education Ministry from cutting the salaries of those teachers who had been on strike for more than four weeks as well as to reverse a Ministry decision to stop deducting union dues from teachers’ salaries and remitting same to the GTU. (G12)
