GTU debunks claims that meetings with MOE dealt with salary issues 

Mar 04, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) on Sunday debunked claims by President Irfaan Ali that the union and the Ministry of Education were holding meetings on salary issues, when talks broke down and the teachers proceeded on strike action.

President Ali, on Saturday urged GTU to call off their strike and return to the classrooms to allow the resumption of negotiations to address the needs of the teachers. Speaking during a live broadcast on Saturday, the president according to DPI bulletin said that since assuming office, the government has had more than 25 meetings with the GTU. “In these meetings with the union, 30 out of the 41 requests made by the union was fulfilled. Apart from the 30, 28 additional non-requested benefits were implemented by the government and the Ministry of Education,” he pointed out. Additionally, DPI said last year, the head of state directly engaged with teachers from the 10 administrative regions. This engagement gave teachers the platform to discuss the state of the education system and address challenges faced.

In a statement issued on Thursday last, the Ministry of Education made it clear that a ‘long and settled’ practice of meeting monthly with the GTU has been ongoing since 11th August 2020. The release stated that at these meetings, multiple issues relating to the welfare of teachers and improvements in the administration of the education sector have been addressed, including salary issues.

The last of these engagements took place on 31st January 2024, with the next meeting scheduled to take place on 21st February 2024. As a result, the president in his address said that the responsibility is in the hands of the teachers and the GTU.

Damned lies

However, in addressing what he described as lies, President of the GTU Dr. Mark Lyte on Sunday challenged the government and the Ministry of Education to produce the minutes signed by both parties, from the meetings where salaries were discussed. “Let them produce the minutes that are signed by both sides the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers Union. Let those minutes come forth and let those minutes say that we have spoken on financial matters, salary matters.”

Lyte said that the only way to resolve the matter and bury the issue was to have those minutes produced today that these types of discussions were indeed held. “In order to bury this let them produce the signed minutes and we have to be careful because they can make-up minutes.”  The GTU President went on to say, “…lies have been peddled about our engagements, and I want to spend some time talking about the engagements with the Ministry of Education…we have shown you very clearly that the engagements with MoE are nothing but statutory meetings which we have committed to based on our multi-year agreement.”

He further explained, “The engagements have dealt with how we can improve policies in the education sector, and the last agenda which we shared on our Facebook Page had nothing to do about salaries. So I cannot understand why the leader of this country the President would take to his presentation to try to say to teachers, to try to say to the public, that the Ministry of Education was engaging us on financial matters. These are lies, absolute lies and to hear that different government officials will say this, somebody is giving them a script from which to read.”  “We have been meeting, the President is now saying we met for 25 times, I want to see those 25 times that we met. In fact we were not meeting every month, we were meeting as the need arises to deal with educational issues,” he added.

The GTU on Friday submitted its proposal to court-appointed mediators outlining the terms under which the country’s teachers will end industrial action and return to the classroom. Last week marked four weeks since teachers have been on strike demanding improved salaries and better working conditions. They have been calling on the Government of Guyana to engage the union in collective bargaining.  The proposal was tabled before court-appointed mediators: attorneys-at-Law, Robin Stoby SC and Edward Luckhoo SC at the commencement of the mediation process on Friday. In attendance were representatives of the GTU including its President Lyte and Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain along with their legal teams.

Speaking to reporters at the High Court at the conclusion of the first day’s session, Attorney for the GTU Darren Wade disclosed that the Union had not shifted its position as it relates to the terms on which to end the strike.  “Nothing has changed from our position and the proposal is still on the table…” he said adding that the mediation process will continue Monday (Today).  The attorney was however tightlipped about the details of mediation.

 

 

 

 

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• govt, GTU, President, strike, teachers

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