President refuses to meet with GTU before due process

Sep 30, 2016 News

President David Granger is saying that he would not be meeting with representatives of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) until due process is followed.

President David Granger

Yesterday, the President acknowledged receipt of a letter from GTU seeking an audience with him. The letter included complaints about the way the union is being treated and concerns about working conditions for teachers.
However, Granger made it clear that he will not be meeting with the union before engagements are made at the Ministerial level with the Ministers in the Ministry of Social Protection.
Granger said, “I have a Ministry of Social Protection and I would urge that the trade unions engage the Ministers first. It would be imprudent for me to overrule or override or try to deal with the unions without first giving the Minister responsible [a chance to engage]; and there are two Ministers in that Ministry. So it is important for the Trade Unions to engage her first and of course, the Minister who has specific responsibility for industrial relations.”
President Granger said that conciliation is not necessary at this time, as he noted that talks between the Union and the government are continuing.
He cited the fact that there is a menu of measures which have not yet been exhausted. The President said that because of government’s preparation for the 2017 Budget, talks between the unions and the government needed to have reached a certain point by September so that a budget could be prepared.

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