Talks on the looming teachers strike ended without resolution yesterday as the GTU is pressing for arbitration while the Labour Department is contending that conciliation between the union and the government must be exhausted first.
Yesterday’s talks were adjourned with no resumption date fixed making it more likely that teachers will be on strike on Monday, the first day of the new school year.
The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) said it is willing to call off the planned strike to back its demand for a 40 per cent increase in salaries if the Education Ministry agrees to arbitration and foregoes the conciliation process. However, the ministry and the conciliator – the Labour Department of the Ministry of Social Protection – are insisting that the process move forward though conciliation in keeping with “the rules and regulations” of resolving industrial relations issues.
