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GTU to explore other options to cushion 10% for teachers – GS
General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta Mc Donald
Kaieteur News – General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union Coretta McDonald told this publication on Thursday that the union will be initiating a series of meetings to find ways to cushion the 10% salary increase for the teachers on the lower end of the spectrum that will not feel the impact of the increase.
In an invited comment, McDonald said that, “The first thing the GTU has got to do is to redeem itself in the eyes of its teachers and the general public and that has to be done in such a tactical way that the hurt and the scars and so on that has been created are repaired.”
She further stated, “Secondly, GTU will have to seek out other ways and means of how they are going to be able to initiate other avenues to cushion that 10% that has been signed. With the other non-salary benefits which doesn’t bring any significant relief to our teachers, and that is why the other half of GTU were hesitant and they are saying that we should not sign it because we recognize that the people who stand to benefit, the teachers who stand to benefit are those who are on the high-end of the spectrum.’
McDonald explained that the 10% that was signed off on “doesn’t offer any cushion to the regular members. When we look at duty-free concessions, duty-free concessions will benefit the administrators, who are few in numbers but the majority of our members are those who are not in administrative positions. The majority of our members will not benefit from what has been signed on to. “
“If you are going to sign off on any proper arrangement, then the masses of your members are the ones who you should seek to receive the cushioning or the best of cushioning,” she added.
Despite objections from a section of its General Council as well as rank-and-file members, President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Dr. Mark Lyte on Wednesday morning signed a multi-year agreement with the government accepting the ten percent pay hike for teachers and a slew of other benefits, none of which accorded with the demands of the union.
Teachers disappointed
Earlier this week, this publication reached out to a few teachers to get their take on the 10% the government was offering. Member of Parliament and GTU member Ronald Cox told this publication that, “The GTU was trying desperately since 2019 (that was a whole issue by itself) to finalize an agreement with the MOE (government by extension). Following the established trajectory set by the coalition coupled by other economic factors (fastest growing economy in the world), it is fair to conclude that any percentage under 15% for 2024 with an incremental increase for 2025 and 2026 will be considered unreasonable.”
He stressed that, “The current measures of the government to fight the rising cost of living are meagre worsened with the great challenges of alleged discrimination and corruption. However, 10% is definitely not what the general membership is prepared to accept at this time, especially with a lesser % for 2025 and 2026!”
Sir Randy Mingo who was always vocal since the first strike told the Kaieteur News that, “Many of those benefits will not benefit all the teachers, that is the first thing and that is the greatest issue that many of us have. Just a selected few would benefit from those incentives that they are talking about. So that is why we the teachers are more interested in the higher percentage on salaries. They are talking about health checks and all of these things; we don’t want health outreaches and all those things for us to go.”
Abiding by the General Council
The GTU in a statement via its Facebook Page on Wednesday said that the agreement comes after months of talks between the two sides. “The GTU wishes to thank members for their resilience, support, and commitment throughout the process. The General Council decision reflects the members’ wishes based on the instructions given to the executives. As we move forward, the GTU remains committed to advocating for the needs of our members and assure its members and the general public that we will continue to press the employer for additional member benefits.”
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