The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has agreed to increases in salaries for teachers ranging from six per cent to 17.5 per cent effective from January 1, 2001, the union announced yesterday.

The GTU had rejected government's offer of 5.5 per cent across the board and had returned to the bargaining table with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education seeking graduated increases for teachers based on qualifications and experience.

Last Friday they reached an agreement to increase the salaries of pupil, acting and unqualified teachers to bring them in line with government's minimum wage.

GTU President Bertram Hamilton told Stabroek News on Tuesday that the parties reached agreement with respect to a six per cent increase for teachers on the upper scale of the profession.

Hamilton said that the GTU could not say that it was satisfied with the increases as some of the principles had not been addressed. However, he noted that principles had been agreed on, on the way forward as they related to allowances and increments. Negotiations for the years 2002 to 2004 will begin next week.

According to the current agreement on the increases junior teachers and teacher aides will enjoy a nine per cent increase. Their salary will move to $17,381 from $15,946. The acting teachers will also get a nine per cent increase with their salaries moving to $18,234 from $16,728.

The pupil teachers I will see a 17.5% increase in their salary moving them from $17,397 to $$20,441, while the pupil teachers II will get a 14% increase in their salary bringing it to $$22,070 from $19,360.

The temporary unqualified assistants' salary will now go to $22,897 from $19,739, which represents a 16% increase.

The temporary qualified III salary will go to $25,024 from $22,749 representing a ten per cent increase. The temporary qualified II will also benefit from a ten per cent increase which means that their salaries will move to $27,970 from $25,427.

From the Teaching Service Commission (TSC)3 scale the teachers will all receive a six per cent increase.

The salaries of the temporary qualified/trained teachers, assistant lecturers II at the Government Technical Institute (GTI)/Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), instructors I - Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE) and the Government Industrial Training Centre (GITC) has moved to $41,619 from $39,262.

The salaries of the non-graduate senior assistants has moved to $46,695 from $44,052 while the salaries of the non-graduate head of a grade `D' nursery school, head of department (HOD), Instructor II - GITC/CSHE and non-graduate senior assistant (SM) has moved to $53,056 from $50,053.

The salaries of the grade `E' non graduate head and the grade `C' nursery non-graduate head has been upped to $54,435 from $51,354. The lecturer I - New Amsterdam Technical Institute/GTI/Linden Technical Institute will now receive $$53,463 while the untrained graduate will now receive $56,500; a Grade `B' non graduate DHM, $55,813; and a non-graduate HM (grade `D')/non graduate HM (Grade `B' Nursery), $58,570.

The trained graduate/lecturer I - Cyril Potter College of Education(CPCE)/instructor I - Burrowes School of Art (BSA) will now receive $62,014 and the non-graduate DHM, grade `A' will receive $61325 while the non-graduate HM, grade `C'/non-graduate HM, nursery will get $64,771.

The graduate senior assistant will receive $67,526 and the non-graduate HM, grade `B'/graduate HM `D' nursery will get $70,282. The graduate SM (senior master/mistress)/head of department (HOD)/graduate HM - nursery grade `C'/lecturer II - CPCE,LTI, GTI,, ETI/instructor III - CSHE,GITC, and a graduate HM `E' will all receive $73,038.

The graduate DHM - grade `B' and the non-graduate HM grade `A' will receive $75,796 while the graduate HM grade `B' nursery will get $78,551.

The graduate DHM grade `A'/senior lecturer - CPCE, GTI, NATI, LTI, ETI/Chief instructor - GITC/deputy principal - CSHE will now receive $81,307, while the graduate HM grade `C' and Graduate HM grade `A' nursery will receive $85,442.

The graduate HM grade `B' will now move to $90,953 and the graduate HM grade `A' will get $96,465.

The graduate sixth form head/vice principal - CPCE, NATI/deputy principal - GTI, NATI, LTI, ETI/administrator - GITC/principal - CHSE will now all receive salaries of $101,978.

The salaries of the principals of GTI, CPCE, NATI and ETI have now moved to $106,853.