Teachers’ union, ministry still at impasse on wages

The Ministry of Education (left) and the Guyana Teachers Union met again yesterday to discuss the Teachers Multi-Year agreement. There was no progress on wages. (Ministry of Education photo)

A meeting between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) yesterday failed to yield progress for an agreement on proposed wage increases for teachers, setting the stage for a planned strike to proceed.

“We are coming out very dissatisfied with this engagement for the simple reason that our salary issues were a major concern here. Increases in salaries and other financial benefits, they have all been pushed down. The union’s position is that our position will remain the same,” GTU President Mark Lyte said after the two-and-three-quarter-hour-long engagement yesterday afternoon.

Nicolette Henry

“We believe that our increases in terms of finances was extremely important to the cause of our teachers. Our concern is that our teachers cannot survive on the salaries they are receiving,” he added.