Minister of Labour and Social Security, Dr. Dale Bisnauth made this disclosure as he addressed a news conference at the Offices of the Teaching Service Commission, to bring the media up to date on the Report of the Advisory Committee set up to address the impasse between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union.

He explained that this offer is intended to ensure that teachers are not paid salaries lower than the lowest paid public servants, and targets primarily those teachers who earn less than persons in the lower echelons of the public service.

Said Minister Bisnauth: “This offer is primarily to bring the salaries of teachers who are below the minimum public servants receive - on par with the minimum that is paid to public servants.”

And according to Chief labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel, also present at the press conference, since the teachers have been earning less than public servants, the offer would, in effect, serve to “correct that imbalance”.

They concurred that the figures would form the basis of negotiations of the terms of resumption, with Minister Bisnauth adding that his impression is that the Ministry of Education may not want to become engaged in negotiations under duress (for as long as the strike is on).

The Union had initially asked for a 60 per cent increase on teachers’ salaries retroactive to December 2001 - a request which was rejected. The Union subsequently asked for a 15 per cent increase, and is insisting that it is not prepared to accept less than 15 per cent for teachers in the higher categories, even though their salaries may be above the public service minimum wage.

But Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Mohamed Akeel is contending that the $40 to $60 million pay out may very well be in excess of what is needed to bring the lowest paid teachers’ salaries on par with public service minimum wage (the terms set out by government). He reasoned that in such a case, the excess money could be used to offset whatever additional increases the teachers want. If what is required is $30 Million, then they would have another $30 Million to do as they see fit, he said, without mentioning sustainability.

Asked whether the Union has signalled its intention to call off the strike, the Minister responded: “I certainly did not get the impression that the Union is prepared to call off the strike… I got the distinct impression that the union is not at this stage, prepared to call off the strike.” He also said that the Union had made no mention of returning to the bargaining table.

Albeit, he said that the Ministry of Labour would have to seek to point both the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union in the direction of a resolution of the impasse.

Minister Bisnauth said that as the nation’s Chief Conciliator and the person responsible for Labour in Guyana, he felt that he should intervene in the impasse, under Section 6 of the Labour Act, Chapter 98:01

He reported that the Committee headed by Dr. Martin Bhoodoo, worked with alacrity on its mandate, and submitted a report on April 24th. The report contained recommendations to move the process forward and to work out a resolution to the problem between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers Union.

One of the important recommendations, the Minister said, is that the GTU and Ministry of Education should return to the bargaining table and that the terms of resumption should be mutually resolved.

The Committee specifically recommends two options for consideration:

** The parties should agree to initiate discussions, within the ambit of the CLA on salary and other benefits for 2003 on the mutual understanding that consideration would be given to the events of 2002, with a view to “factor in” benefits that may not have been addressed in the 2002 award, bearing in mind the procedures of budgeting and accounting in the public services.

** The parties agree to re-open discussions on the Salary Proposal of the GTU for 2002-2004 and the Presentation of the Ministry of Education, with mutual agreement to consider the main factor/events that led up to the award of 2002 and “factor-in” any benefits for 2002 that may not have been addressed, in the Salary and Ancillary Benefits for 2003 and 2004.

The Minister of Labour who was out of the country, and returned on May 1, said that on May 2, he received from the Union, a copy of a letter, indicating that the it was going to call teachers out on strike. He said he sought to intervene by calling the two parties to a meeting on Monday May 5, to discuss the report of the Advisory Committee.

“Let me say that the Ministry reported its satisfaction with the report, and the Union, on the other hand, indicated that, by and large - there is fairness in the report.,” he declared.

However, it was pointed out that the two recommendations had been made at earlier stages in bilateral conversation between the Ministry and the Union, and at the stage of Conciliation as well, when they would have met under the Chairmanship of the Chief Labour Officer.

At Monday’s meeting with the two parties, the Minister undertook to make the presentation to Cabinet then meet with them once again, once Cabinet would have exercised its mandate on the matter.

“Cabinet has now exercised its mandate.” he said, “and has provided us with some indicative figure which I have communicated to the Union with whom I met alone.”

The Minister explained that he was very careful to do so, since he did not want to give that meeting the appearance of any kind of negotiation, lest he, as Minister of Labour be accused of tolerating negotiation under duress.