Teachers back to work: Gov’t, Union maintain positions for multi-year agreement

agreed to end their strike and the government has committed to increasing salaries for the nation’s educators this year and to begin immediate negotiations for a multi-year agreement.

The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) had wanted a multi-year package going back to 2019, but the government had said this would have had significant financial implications.

In the agreement to end the strike, it was noted that “conciliation will commence forthwith to determine whether the timeframe proposed by the GTU, 2019 to 2023 or the MOE 2024 and onwards should form part of a new multi-year agreement.”

The government had indicated its goal is to find a balanced solution that ensures fair compensation for our teachers and public sector workers while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“The Ministry of Education, and by extension, the Government, is very happy that we have come to an agreement, and that we can conclude this first step in the conciliation process… We look forward to the continued commitment of the GTU, as we are committed to bringing a conclusion to this matter so that at the end of it, we can have a Multi-Year Agreement that benefits all parties,” said Shannielle Hoosein-Outar, Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry.

The government’s approach involves negotiating a multi-year agreement that considers current economic realities and future growth prospects. The multi-year agreement, strategy aims to provide steady and predictable salary adjustments, offering teachers a sense of security and stability in their earnings.

As negotiations progress, both parties are expected to explore various options to reach a consensus that aligns with the country’s financial capacity and the welfare of public sector workers.

In an agreement shared on Facebook by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, it was noted that teachers will end the ongoing strike and resume work within two working days.

It was also agreed that there will be no victimisation, no loss of service, no transfer of teachers upon resumption and that teachers will return to their respective positions before the strike.

“We are very happy that we were able to meet an agreement, and of course, given where we started and how we were going, it is good to see that the words that we constantly hear—trust and good faith—eventually came true in the end…,” said Dhaneshwar Deonarine, the Chief Labour Officer.

President of the GTU, Mr. Mark Lyte, echoed similar sentiments.

“GTU is committed to the process to ensure that we continue to negotiate in good faith, and at the end of it, we arrived at a position that would be beneficial to the children, the teachers and the nation as a whole… I hope that we can find common ground and see the bigger picture as we go forward,” he said.