GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—College students returned to their lecture rooms on Monday after the Easter trip, with the Guyana Academics’ Union (GTU) warning that it may resume industrial motion if the Authorities fails to renew the negotiations on wage will increase for its members.
GTU president Dr. Mark Lyte mentioned in a press release that the union’s Basic Council made a number of selections relating to the continued deadlock with the Authorities. The final strike lasted from February 5 to March 4.
“It was unanimously agreed that our academics should return to strike motion, having not heard from the federal government facet in 26 days about how we’re going to handle the wage issues about academics. So, the primary choice that was given was a resumption of strike motion by all educators throughout Guyana,” Lyte mentioned.
He mentioned that since talks between the union and the Ministry of Schooling broke down on March 12 following the court-ordered mediation course of, the Irfaan Ali authorities has made no effort to renew them.
Earlier than the collapse of the talks, the Ministry of Schooling, in a press release, mentioned among the issues recognized for dialogue by the GTU are the wage issues included within the multi-year proposal 2019-2023, the 2 p.c distinction in wage for 2017, and 2018, clothes allowance improve and Whitley Council being paid each three years.
It additionally recognized dialogue trainer absenteeism and punctuality, poor performing faculties, steady skilled training, and completion of syllabus.
The GTU is searching for a 25 p.c wage improve for 2019 and a 20 p.c wage hike for every of the years from 2020 to 2023.
The collective bargaining between the GTU and the Schooling Ministry is in accordance with a Excessive Courtroom-ordered mediation settlement that ended a 29-day nationwide trainer strike.
The assembly was chaired by the Everlasting Secretary of the Schooling Ministry, Shannielle Hoosein-Outar, who upheld the Authorities’s place that discussions surrounding wage will increase must be from 2024 onwards.
Nonetheless, in his assertion, Lyte mentioned the GTU is resolute in its place, and if academics return to the streets, they won’t cease till their calls for are met.
“This time, when the strike motion will probably be initiated, that means when academics are known as out to strike, there is not going to be any resumption till our negotiations are accomplished,” Lyte mentioned, including that the GTU government will determine on the date for the resumption of the strike motion, and academics ought to await its determination.
Lyte mentioned the Council had additionally supplied different choices, together with urgent the Authorities for a mutually agreed arbitration course of and/or initiating authorized proceedings towards the Ministry of Labour for failing to execute the mandate to settle disputes between state workers and commerce unions.
In the meantime, the substantive court docket case by the GTU relating to the legality of the Authorities’s determination to withhold the salaries of academics who’re putting and to halt the deduction of union dues from the salaries of academics on behalf of the union will proceed on Wednesday.
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