GUYANA | Teachers Strike on Pause, Union wants to join court case with teachers

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, March 5, 2024 - The four week old Guyana Teachers Strike will come to an end on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in order to facilitate the long awaited negotiation with the government on salaries and other matters set to begin on Thursday.

The work resumption followed almost two days of mediation that was ordered by Justice Sandil Kissoon.

The agreement between the GTU and the Attorney General, arising from continuous mediation that was ordered by Justice Sandil Kissoon, states that the Government of Guyana represents that it continues to assure and reiterate its position that it will continue to act in good faith and in accordance with the laws of Guyana in relation to all matters under discussion.

GTU President Dr Mark Lyte said the Terms of Resumption,  which is now an order of court, provides for financial matters to be the first item on the agenda. Asked if that would be considered collective bargaining, he said “it sets the framework for the process to commence collective bargaining.”  These include the following:

1. The two sides agreed that teachers shall, in good faith, resume work on or before Wednesday 6 March, 2004

2. Discussions shall proceed within 48 hours of resumption of work and shall be in relation to those matters which either Party considers relevant for discussion between the Union and the Government, which includes financial matters.

3. The discussions referred to  shall take place at the Ministry of Education Boardroom, Lot 26 Brickdam, Georgetown and will continue for a reasonable period of time.

4. Both parties reserve all their rights pursuant to any agreement or the laws of Guyana.

The financial matters such as loss of pay for strike days and government’s refusal to automatically deduct and remit union dues were not part of the agreement. Dr Lyte said those are matters for the court to adjudicate on. “Those are before the Court so those were not placed on the table,” Dr Lyte added.

Asked how optimistic is the Union that the agreement would result in a salary increase for teachers, the union’s lawyer, Darren Wade said “the agreement has to act in good faith so it puts a burden on the government when they are at the table to ensure that the teachers’ issues are addressed.” He said the agreement is binding and “the government cannot back out”.

       GTUC applies to Court to join Teachers’ Case

In the meantime, The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General Secretary Lincoln Lewis, through Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, has applied to the Court to join the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) struggle for collective bargaining to be respected and upheld.

The Bharrat Jagdeo/Irfaan Ali government over the years is seen as gradually eroding the pillars of good governance in Guyana. 

According to Lewis and Forde it is time that workers of Guyana unite to stop the decline in workers gains and will to struggle that are historically known to shape our country’s development thrust.

Lewis and Forde will further speak to the case at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, March 5 @ 1:30 p.m at the Critchlow Labour College.

Guyana’s public school teachers have been on strike since February 5. The strike is the result of Government’s refusal to engage the GTU in collective bargaining since 2020. 

The Union in August 2020 submitted a multi-year proposal on wages/salary and working conditions to the Ministry of Education. The Union said its proposal was re-submitted in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, rather than meet with the Teachers Union, the government has insulted teachers, threatened to deduct salary for the days any teacher is absent from work, and wrote the Union stating it will no longer deduct union dues from the teachers’ salary and remit to the Union.

 On February 22, 2024 Judge Sandil Kissoon issued conservatory orders blocking the government from implementing its decision until the case brought by the Union on February 13, 2024 is determined. That case is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday March 20, 2024.

Last Wednesday, February 28, after Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain flouted the Court’s orders he was hauled before Justice Kissoon, where he was reprimanded and apologised to the Court. The Judge has since appointed a mediator to work with the Union and Government on the industrial impasse which enters the fifth week today.

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