Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
GTU aims at 25% salary increase for public school teachers …as new proposal submitted to Education Ministry
Prepared to resume negotiations with government for a new multi-year salary package for public school teachers, the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] yesterday submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Education.
This development was confirmed by President of the Union, Mr. Mark Lyte, who said that the union is looking to start the negotiation process at 25 percent increase for its membership.
In its proposal too, the union has detailed, among other things, conditions for the re-employment of retired teachers; the need for grants for schools, which are often subjected to inadequate stock; incentives for teachers with additional qualifications and those qualified in areas of physical education and special needs education.
“Some of the things, we have fine-tuned them. We still have things like duty-free concessions, continuation of the Whitley Council [leave]…we are proposing adjustment to Whitley Council; we have clothing allowances; we have house-lots for teachers still on the cards and we do have other things like class size issues. The class size for special needs schools, we are requesting a smaller number or in cases where the number cannot be smaller, we are recommending a teacher’s aide for the teachers, so at all times there will be two persons to the class,” Lyte shared.
The proposal, ahead of being submitted yesterday to Ms. Adele Clarke, the Education Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, had its content approved by the membership of the union.
Lyte noted that although the union had initially planned to submit the proposal much earlier, a decision was taken at the level of its General Council to ensure that its 10,000-odd memb
GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte
ership from across the country had the opportunity to give their input.
“We submitted it [the proposal] finally today [yesterday]…they [Education Ministry] will now have to study it,” said Lyte as he expressed hope that the union will be have a feedback on the way forward from the Ministry by the first week of next month.
“I think it is something that has to be treated expeditiously…we need to see this dealt with, with urgency, because we don’t want to see it dragged out.”
The last [three-year] agreement the Union had with the Education Ministry expired at the end of last year shortly after it was inked. This was owing to the slothful approach taken by the ruling administration to deal with the union’s proposal, which was submitted since the end of 2015.
A disagreement between government and the union had resulted in industrial action before an amicable resolution was realised, wrapping up with the inking of an agreement.
Given the recent experience, Lyte said, “I believe that both parties have learnt from the previous experience on how we would want to go forward. I hope that those lessons will serve to propel some urgency with the whole process, and it will also be good, since we will be heading into our triennial conference in April. It will be good for the Ministry and the union to really strengthen our relationship going into our conference. Having a signed agreement will be extremely good,” Lyte asserted.
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