GTU proposes 39.5% & 35% salary hikes ahead of new 2024-2026 pact

The Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) has submitted a proposal to the Education Ministry for consideration in keeping with the signed agreement to start negotiations for teachers’ salary increases from 2024 onwards.
In this new round of negotiations GTU is seeking a 39.5 per cent salary increase for teachers on Scales One to Three for 2024 and an additional 30 per cent for 2025 and 2026.
Further, the union is pushing for teachers on Scales 4 to 19, to receive a salary increase of 35 percent for 2024, and 30 per cent for 2025 and 2026.
In an invited comment GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald disclosed that the union believes the new Memorandum of Agreement is “fair” and coincides with the government’s request to think ahead for the future.
“…we submitted a new proposal to the government… And we are awaiting whether it’s a counter-proposal from the government or whether we will just sit at the table and continue to move on,” Mc Donald told this publication.
The Union has also proposed a performance-based incentive of two per cent per annum to be paid to eligible teachers during the period of the multi-year agreement, with effect from January 1, 2024.
This is in addition to an annual health/risk allowance of $25,000, and monthly internet/mobile data allowance of $10,000 to be paid to all teachers.
Moreover, the body is seeking a termly school’s transportation grant of $150,000 in the case of those operating on the coastland and $300,000 for hinterland/riverain schools or alternately a mode of transport (boat, ATV etc.) to offset the cost of teachers travelling to attend meetings, workshops, orientation sessions, or emergencies at school.
The Education Ministry and GTU are expected to meet again on July 27.

End of strike
After months of prolonged industrial action, the GTU conceded to government’s proposal that salary increases for teachers should be determined under a new agreement from the current year onward.
Prior to this, GTU had been pushing for a backdated collective bargaining agreement. But government, through the Ministry of Education, has maintained that it is fully prepared to work on a multi-year agreement from 2024 and not 2019 as being initially demanded by the union.
In fact, earlier in the month, the two sides came to an agreement which GTU explained at the time followed consultations with its membership.
The now concluded conciliation process was initiated by the Education Ministry after the GTU had agreed to end its 70 plus-day strike action that was undertaken by teachers from across the country.
Among the terms of the June 21 agreement was for the end of the strike and full resumption of work by all teachers/educators within two working days; no discrimination or loss of service or transfer of any teachers who were on strike; and for the status quo to prevail pending the outcome of the legal proceedings in the courts.
That Agreement of Resumption follows a breakdown of talks between the ministry and the union, resulting in the intervention of the Labour Ministry to mediate between the two parties.
Since then, the MOE and GTU have met numerous times, under the supervision of the Labour Ministry, to embark on negotiations to determine a Multi-Year Agreement which would be beneficial to all parties involved.
The process adheres to the guidelines outlined in the 1990 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) titled, “The Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes”, as well as the Labour Act, Chapter 98:01 of the Laws of Guyana. (G1)