No basis exists for conciliation

Jun 11, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The ongoing conflict between the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the government over wage increases has reached a point where conciliation appears impossible to allow for agreement. A new approach is needed.

The union’s current demands are so exorbitant that they cannot be considered as a basis for any serious negotiations. It is therefore crucial that the teachers within the system recognise the unrealistic nature of these demands and push for a more pragmatic approach. This column had previously dealt with the impracticality of the GTU’s proposals. It has argued that the GTU’s proposal for wage increases is not only unrealistic but also unsustainable.

No government can feasibly accommodate the level of annual increases that the union is demanding. The union’s demands are simply outrageous.  The teachers’ union needs to understand that such demands cannot be the basis of any negotiations. As explained before, if the government accedes to this demand then a trained teacher would be earning around $450,000 per month. The current demands made by the Guyana Teachers’ Union are impractical and unsustainable, rendering them untenable as a basis for serious negotiations. Teachers within the system must recognize this reality and advocate for a more pragmatic approach.

The Ministry of Labour faces an insurmountable challenge in attempting to conciliate the ongoing dispute between the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the government due to the union’s exorbitant demands. The union’s demands are so outrageous that they do not provide a viable starting point for compromise or mutual agreement. The Ministry’s efforts are thus stymied by the sheer impracticality of the union’s proposals, which fail to consider a realistic path forward.

Conciliation, in its current form, is unlikely to succeed unless there is a fundamental change in approach. The focus should not be on the conditions for returning to work but rather on developing a realistic and reasonable wage proposal. The GTU also blundered during the conciliation talks. It should never have entertained a discussion about a return to work prior to concluding the negotiations with the government. Had the union agreed to conditions for a return to work, this would have weakened its bargaining position.

The union’s main weapon is the withdrawal of labour. This is its primary negotiating tool. However, this approach also has its limitations, especially when its demands are unrealistic. A new strategy is needed—one that moves away from annual percentage increases and instead focuses on establishing reasonable starting salaries for each wage band. This approach should take into consideration the current economic climate and the government’s ability to pay. Teachers within the system should play a crucial role in developing this new strategy. They need to intervene and demand that their union propose a more realistic and sustainable wage structure.

Within the school system, there are numerous intelligent, responsible, and reasonable teachers who must realize the unfeasibility of the union’s demands. These educators understand the economic realities and should advocate for more sustainable solutions. It is necessary for these teachers to voice their concerns and push for a shift in the union’s approach to negotiations.

Instead of insisting on percentage increases, the teachers should advocate for a wage proposal that sets a reasonable starting salary for each wage band within the teaching profession. The first step in this new approach is to determine what constitutes a reasonable and realistic starting salary for each wage band. By focusing on establishing reasonable starting wages for each wage band and incorporating inflation adjustments, the union can develop a more sustainable and realistic wage proposal.

A new wage proposal should include provisions for adjusting salaries based on inflation rates for the years 2025 and 2026. By incorporating inflation adjustments, the union can create a more sustainable and forward-thinking wage structure. But this process, unfortunately cannot be left to the union alone. It has proven itself incapable of being realistic and reasonable in its demands. As such, it is essential for teachers to be actively involved in this process. The teachers need to pressure their union to join with them, the teachers, to work together to develop a proposal that is reasonable, and sustainable. Once the new wage proposal has been developed, the union should present it to the government as a realistic and sustainable alternative to the current demands.

This should then lead to a new round of negotiations. And if that fails, then conciliation can be restarted. But to expect conciliation to work under the present demands is to expect the impossible.

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• column, conciliation, Government, Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), wage

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