The executive of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has agreed to meet with the Ministry of Education today at 2 pm on protracted wage talks but union President Mark Lyte maintains that strike action is still scheduled to begin on August 27.
“They have invited us; we indicated that we wanted to discuss the recommendations of the task force and to see what new proposal is put on the table but the union will not withdraw anything,” he said referring to the union’s declared intention to engage in industrial action.
Lyte’s comment clashes with directives delivered to the union yesterday by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Keith Scott.
In a letter addressed to Lyte and released to media last evening Scott, who directs the operations of the Department of Labour, stated that “normal and enlightened labour management relations practices dictate that negotiations should not be conducted in an atmosphere of duress…that means that a threat or notice of strike must be unequivocally withdrawn.”
