GTU proposes 39.5% salary increase for teachers in 2024

Jul 12, 2024 News

A section of the proposed agreement.

…wants 100 UG scholarships, $40,000 clothing allowance and 300 duty free concessions

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has proposed a 39.5 percent salary increase for teachers in 2024, the proposal submitted to the Government of Guyana states.

According to the document, the GTU is also asking for “30% for each indicative year 2025 and 2026 respectively. Teachers from TS4 to TS19 (35%) for 2024, and 30% indicative year 2025 and 2026 respectively.”

Furthermore, the Union proposed that should there be a higher percentage given to Public Servants, then the teachers/ teacher educators must get the benefit of the differences.

In the very detailed document, titled ‘Proposed Memorandum of Agreement entered between the Ministry of Education and the GTU concerning terms and conditions of employment for teachers/ teacher educators for the years 2024-2026’, the Union is also demanding among other things 100 University of Guyana scholarships per year, a clothing allowance of $40,000 and 300 duty free concessions for motor vehicles up to 2000 cc.

Additionally, the GTU is proposing “That Teachers/Teacher Educators who serve in the Interior and Hinterland / Riverain Areas be given two (2) years instead of (5) years to serve their CPCE contracts and in the case of University Graduates, they be given Three (3) points for promotional purposes having served four (4) consecutive years.”

Two weeks ago, the GTU called off the strike after being on strike for 75 days. The Union and the Ministry of Education on Friday agreed that the 2019-2023 multi-year proposal put forward by the Union will be shelved and focus will now be placed on the 2024 and onwards multi-year proposal.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education said that “the conciliation process initiated by the Ministry of Education to engage the Guyana Teachers’ Union regarding the timeline for which a multi-year agreement should be agreed upon has come to an end.”

In the statement, the ministry said that the bilateral talks can now begin on the proposed 2024 multi-year agreement.

“The Ministry of Education will continue to serve teachers in various ways and continues to have the best interest of teachers at heart,” the ministry stated.

General Secretary of the Union, Coretta McDonald described the agreement as “a land slide victory for not only the Guyana Teacher’s Union, but, for Trade Unions in general where there were threats of cutting the teacher’s salaries and all kinds of things.”

She explained that despite taking industrial action for 75 days and even approaching the court for assistance, the Union has won and the teachers ought to be proud of their efforts.

“This is actually a win for the Guyana Teachers’ Union, because you and I know that the entire system across this country was interrupted. The ministry had to scale down on all of its programmes because teachers were not in school and to that end, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our members all across this country, to the parents who have been supporting us and the civil society in general who have been supporting us throughout that ordeal,” the General Secretary stated.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Ministry of Education and the GTU in a brief joint press statement announced the conclusion of their first meeting to negotiate the new 2024-2026 memorandum of agreement while noting that both sides are “satisfied with the outcome”.

“The meeting held earlier today, was productive and constructive and both parties are satisfied with the outcome,” the statement said.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 25.

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Employment, GTU, memorandum, Proposal, Union

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