Teachers’ salaries increased by over 20% from 2020 – Education Minister

– threatens salary deductions, other consequences for striking teachers

As the strike by teachers jumped into the second day, Education Minister Priya Manickchand related that only last week, education officials met with the Guyana Teacher’s Union to address several issues that were not addressed out of the 41 demands proposed to the Ministry.
“We have met 25 of their demands, and we have granted and done 28 other things, 28 other actions. Some personal, some professional, that are to the benefits. Of the ones that we didn’t do, two are for GTU Executives, they want duty-free for themselves, not the teachers and two are unlawful, and we are talking about the rest,” Manickchand stated during a televised programme on Monday evening.
The GTU has proposed a 25 per cent salary increase for 2019 and a 20 per cent increase for every other year from 2020 to 2023 but the minister is holding out that the Government has increased teachers’ salaries by more than 20 per cent after taking office in 2020.
“From 2020 to now, we have raised salaries for teachers by over 20% and then the president took some very innovative action. All graduate teachers – so the salary scale is the way it is done – low, middle, high. Most of the graduate teachers were on the lower side, he said all of them automatically moved to the high scale of that salary school. We had this problem where teachers were getting the wrong salary, and he said no, we will fix all of that from 2020 to now So, people were backdated. Last year October, we fixed it and it cost us $700M to fix that,” Manickchand.
She, however, reiterated that the government is not obligated to agree to the multi-year agreement proposed by GTU.
In addition, she noted that the Education Ministry will be pumping $1.8 billion in school supplies and cash grants to teachers in 2024 to them with the preparation of their classrooms.
She nevertheless, maintained that the industrial action called by GTU is ‘illegal’ and warned that there will be consequences if they participate. Over the past two days, teachers have down tools in support of the strike called by the GTU. Many of them voiced their concerns about the 6.5 per cent salary increase imposed on teachers.
However, the ministry stated that it has accepted the opinion of the Labour Ministry that it is illegal to pay teachers who do not report for duty without a legitimate reason.
“The Government is the Government of law and order. The Government will do what is required to be done to make sure the system has order in it. We can’t allow people to walk off from teaching, we can’t allow people to stop teaching. We have children in these classrooms, they have to learn. They have to be taught, they are in exam classes, and they have SBAs. We have children, who depend on these teachers. So, there are rules about what you do, and how you do it. And we are advised by the Ministry of Labour, that this is not a lawful strike, and there are consequences,” Manickchand added.
Further, she added that amid the calls by GTU for the industrial action, most teachers turned out for work on both days.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton reiterated the industrial action called by the GTU is illegal since the parties are still in talks.
“The thing is, the fact that you still have an ongoing conversation between the two parties, there is no need for the Chief Labour Officer to get involved to conciliate. There is nothing to conciliate because there is a conversation and the partner is getting the outcome out of the conversation,” he said.
The GTU has indicated that the strike action will continue but remains optimistic that the government will agree to meet as soon as possible.
In response to the government’s plan to cut the salaries of teachers who are on the picket line, and to discontinue the deduction of union dues from the salaries of the teachers, the Union’s GS, Coretta McDonald described it as “wicked and dictatorial.”
Remuneration packages for teachers
Back in November 2023, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced approximately $1.9 billion in measures for teachers, including salary increases as well as duty-free allowances.
He outlined upward adjustments to the salary and allowance of graduate teachers including holders of a relevant Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Guyana (UG), a degree-awarding institution under the GOAL Programme, or a degree certified by the National Equivalency Board.
“All graduate teachers… shall be moved to the maximum of the scale applicable to the post they currently occupy. This will benefit over 4000 teachers at an additional annual cost of $1 billion, effective from December 1, 2023,” he stated.
Teachers will also receive an additional education allowance of $10,000 monthly for bachelor’s degree holders, which would be equivalent to $120,000 annually; $20,000 monthly for master’s degree holders, an additional $240,000 annually; and $30,000 monthly for doctorate degree holders, which is equivalent to $360,000 annually.
With regard to Remote Areas Incentive (RAI), an upward adjustment was announced from its current level to $20,000 monthly, effective from December 1, 2023. The President said this would benefit more than 2400 teachers.
For example, these adjustments and salary increases will see a Graduate Senior Mistress/Head of Department now having their current salary move from $243,069 to $262,917, and with the inclusion of the revised education allowances, represent an overall 12 per cent increase.
In the case of a Graduate Senior Assistant Master or Mistress working in the Hinterland, this category of worker will now have their current minimum salary adjusted upwards from $223,232 to $243,076, and with the inclusion of the revised education allowances and RAI.
In relation to duty-free allowances, the Guyanese Leader disclosed that all teachers who hold a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress or above and are within three years of retirement and have not previously received a duty-free concession on a motor car shall be entitled to this benefit for a motor car up to 1500cc.