Increasing wages for teachers is priority - Minister of Education

Increasing wages for teachers is priority – Minister of Education

Nov 04, 2015 News

In light of recent calls made by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) for improved remuneration, Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has assured that increasing wages for teachers across the country is a priority of the Ministry.

Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine

Roopnaraine stated that before any decisions can be made, however, the Ministry will first have to consult with the GTU.
Under the current agreement between the Government and the GTU, teachers are set to receive a five percent salary increase every year.
Since President of the GTU, Mark Lyte’s assumption to office, he has been advocating for salary increases as the five percent teachers receive annually is insufficient.
With the current agreement ending in December, the Union is said to have already drafted their new multi-year proposal to give to the Ministry of Education. The Union in the new proposal addresses a 25% salary increase for teachers. It is hoped that such an increase will serve to attract more qualified males in the profession.
Lyte had stated that the reason for the few numbers of male teachers is due to “insufficient remuneration”. He opined that since males are most often the breadwinners of the home, they are reluctant to work for such small wages especially when bringing into focus the demands of a teaching job.
The GTU is also seeking to establish a three year wages and salary agreement rather than a five year agreement as they are of the opinion that this timeframe will provide opportunities to act upon any changes which may arise during that time.
Lyte stated that in addition to the increases, the agreement addresses an anomaly which sees senior teachers receiving the same salaries of those who would have just entered the profession. On several occasions, the GTU has sought to address the issue of the “debunching” payments in previous agreements but that part was never honoured.
Negotiations are also said to be going on regarding duty-free concessions for Headteachers, Senior Masters and Heads of Departments, along with Senior Lecturers at the Cyril Potter College of Education. In addition, the union will also seek to negotiate a 150% increase in station allowances and outlying allowances for easy movement of teachers from the hinterland to the coastland.