Duty free concessions for eligible teachers is frontburner issue for union

Jan 16, 2015 News

While Government’s intervention is crucial to get a number of issues affecting teachers addressed, there have been indications of support coming from the main parliamentary opposition party – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
In fact, according to President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, a meeting to this effect was held during the latter part of 2014 between the GTU Executive and officials of APNU. He related that at that meeting the APNU recognised that issues affecting teachers must be addressed and therefore there is need for these to be addressed forthwith. Moreover, APNU committed to amplifying issues affecting the country’s teachers.
According to Lyte, the outcome of the meeting was the two sides arriving at an agreement to ensure that meetings to address the issues affecting teachers be a sustained feature.
Some of the issues that have remained on the front burner of the GTU’s agenda include the lack of duty free concessions for vehicles for Head and Deputy Head teachers. This was particularly highlighted Lyte when he spoke at a press conference on Wednesday. Lyte was accompanied by his General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, and Administrative Field Officer, Lancelot Baptiste.

GTU officials during Wednesday’s press conference.

Speaking of the duty free concession situation, Lyte said that the GTU has over the years submitted several lists of the names of teachers who qualified for a one-off duty free concession.
He disclosed that “we have submitted names that would go right back to 2009 for those teachers who did not receive their duty free concessions when they were eligible, and as such we were expecting the Ministry to ensure that those teachers receive their duty free concessions…lo and behold, 2014 came to an end and these were not granted.”
“We are saying that this in itself is an injustice meted out to our teachers who would have laboured in this profession for over 30 years, only to have to leave the profession without having that duty free concession given to them,” said Lyte.
But he is yet hopeful. According to the GTU Head, he is optimistic that during the first quarter of this year, the process will be expedited so that teachers who have thus far been denied their duty free concessions will be so endowed.
“We hope that those responsible will act swiftly,” added Lyte.
He went on to disclose that the GTU is also dissatisfied with the de-bunching process. This process should be one that places teachers in various salary scale categories based on their years of service. This agreement, according to Lyte, was signed in 2011, but to date, no teacher has been able to benefit from it.
“One may want to say that the process wasn’t clear,” said Lyte, as he pointed out that in September of last year a Task Force completed its work in ensuring that the way was paved for the monies to be paid to teachers.
“Again the year came to an end and nothing was done,” said the GTU President as he disclosed that the Union had even written to the Education Minister asking that a response on the matter be forthcoming within three days. But according to him, “to date we have not received a response from the Ministry of Education. We are saying that this approach is unacceptable and we will not sit by and allow these things to continue to happen to our teachers.”
Moreover, Lyte shared his desire to see that something be done quickly so that teachers who deserve the additional incentive (through the de-bunching process) be given such.