GTU rejects Government’s 9% pay hike offer for teachers

Aug 09, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has rejected yet another proposal by the Ministry of Education in relation to the salary increase for teachers.

This time, a source close to the union told this newspaper that the Ministry of Education revised its salary increase offer to teachers to 9% for 2024 and 8% for 2025 and another 8% for 2026. The source said that the proposal moved from 6% to 7.5% and then 9% for 2024 and 8% for 2025 and 2026. “The GTU was obviously not satisfied so they rejected the offer,” the source told Kaieteur News.

Just two weeks ago, GTU reported that while the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Education had proposed a six and seven percent salary increase for teachers, the union has not agreed to the proposal or signed an agreement regarding the proposed multi-year package.

In a statement issued on the Union’s Facebook page, the union had said, “The GTU wishes to advise that no agreement has been reached or signed relating to a multi-year package for teachers. Contrary to the percentages in circulation, the Union has not and will not accept.”

Further, the GTU had said that it will update its members about the progress made after the last two days of discussions between the Ministry of Education and the Union.

The office of the Opposition leader had called the initial 7% proposal unfair and said all fair-minded Guyanese should join with teachers in rejecting “the insulting government proposal of 6 to 7% salary increase over the years 2024 to 2026.” The statement added “It is another slap on the face of teachers. One is hard-pressed to even call 6-7% an increase, given that food and other types of inflation have reduced and will continue to reduce real or disposable income of teachers, public servants and other wage-earners.” “Guyanese must note that while Jagdeo and the PPP continue to sit on their hands and allow hundreds of billions of dollars to be embezzled through corruption in the procurement system, they have no shame in offering Guyana’s teachers crumbs and dregs,” the statement added.

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