Teachers will now receive a total salary increase of 9% for 2007 which includes the six percent previously agreed to by Government and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).

President Bharrat Jagdeo made the disclosure at a press conference held on Monday. Back in July when the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) held its delegates conference, Jagdeo had hinted at the increase which he termed ‘something extra’ for the teachers since the union had been able to sit and negotiate with government.

“We have decided to give the teachers another three percent …although we have an agreement for five plus one which would be six percent, the teachers are going to get an additional three percent to take them up to nice percent,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted Jagdeo as saying.

Negotiations are ongoing between government and the GTU for better packages and incentives for teachers.

GINA said Jagdeo also said that negotiations with the public service union are ongoing and he is hopeful that these will be concluded soon.

“If they are not concluded we are going to have to do like what we did in other years and make a payout to the public servants,” Jagdeo told reporters.

Last year government and the teachers union inked a five-year pact which included the five percent plus a one percent performance-based incentive to teachers and also included a range of benefits which the two have been working on to make a reality.

The benefits included scholarships to 100 teachers each year, clothing allowance and duty-free allowance for a number of head teachers each year over the life of the pact.