– as Govt extends olive branch following threats of strike
The botched meeting between the Guyana Teachers Union and the Education Ministry has resulted in a meeting being fixed at a higher level – that is, between the union and President David Granger.
GTU President Mark Lyte stands to make a point during Thursday’s meeting with the Government
According to a joint statement from the Union and Government, this was agreed after a meeting with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and the Union on Friday. The new meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday at 11:00h.
According to the statement, the GTU noted during the meeting that its consultations with Education Minister Nicolette Henry dissolved because her pronouncements differed from the Union’s understanding of Government’s position.
“The Honourable Minister of State in response alluded to his most recent pronouncement on the matter at a post-Cabinet media conference held on October 19, 2017 when he indicated that the issues regarding increased salaries for teachers were being considered by the Government in the form of a multi-year proposal submitted by the Guyana Teachers Union.”
“The Honourable Minister of State further indicated that the meeting with the Minister of Education held on October 26, 2017 was never intended to be the final position of the Administration, but rather an interim arrangement.”
According to the joint statement, the President was “very concerned” about what happened at the meeting between the Minister and her team and the Union. He was, therefore, willing to meet with the Union on Monday to discuss all its concerns.
“The Union indicated its acceptance of His Excellency the President’s offer and iterated that it was committed to the process of collective bargaining and that it would bring these developments to the attention of its members.”
The walkout
Members of the GTU staged a walkout on officials of the Education Ministry, during a meeting on Thursday to discuss a proposed multi-year agreement.
Present at the meeting were Henry, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson and team; while the Union had its President, Mark Lyte; General Secretary, Coretta McDonald and other union members.
According to the Ministry in a statement after the meeting, the walkout was prompted by Minister Henry informing the Union that Government could only offer teachers the same increases it offered all public servants.
“Teachers being public servants, therefore, will also benefit from the proposed wage increases,” the Ministry said. “Dissatisfied with the response, the GTU President decided that the meeting should not continue and, together with his colleagues, left the boardroom thereby leading to a premature end of the discourse.”
When contacted by Guyana Times, Lyte stated that the walkout resulted from the Government not addressing the Union’s substantive proposal. While noting that the body remained open to talks with the Government, Lyte revealed that the Union would be commencing countrywide strike action from next week.
“The talks were specific to proposals from the Union two and a half years ago. The Minister, in her chairing of the meeting, subsequently tried to treat with matters outside of the purpose of the meeting.”
“Also, the Minister bluntly indicated during the five minutes or so the meeting lasted that the teachers would get the same that was offered (to) public servants, without even talking about what we proposed,” Lyte claimed, adding that the Government’s “imposition” would not be accepted this time around.
That being said, Lyte stated that a countrywide strike was expected to commence by next Friday. This, according to the GTU President, is to allow enough time to ensure the membership is properly notified.
“Even in that interim, we are still open for something definitive to be put before us in terms of our proposal. (But) I take having the Minister trying to side-line the discussion this (Thursday) afternoon as an indication that the Administration was not prepared to treat with the proposal put forward.”
The issues of concern to the Union include the stagnated negotiations between the GTU and the Education Ministry for increased teachers’ remuneration and outstanding payments among other matters.
Additionally, the Union had expressed concern about a memorandum that could see teachers having to work during their designated lunch period.
