The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has called on its membership to strike today and tomorrow as part of industrial action to press the government to move to arbitration over increased salaries for 2002.
Similar action is planned for next week, March 11 and 12.
The GTU is seeking to increase the junior teachers’ pay packet to that of the traditional public servant’s minimum wage as well as looking for a 15% increase for all other teachers.
But Minister of Education, Dr Henry Jeffrey feels there is no case for arbitration and says the government has already pledged $140M to close the gap.
At a press briefing to announce the decision taken at a general council meeting on February 28, GTU President, Sydney Murdock said the strike action is aimed to force the ministry to arbitration as well as to deal with a number of outstanding issues.
Teachers will be expected to either stay home or report to the GTU Hall. Murdock is also calling on parents to support the teachers’ cause by keeping their children at home.
Asked about children preparing for the Secondary Schools Entrance Examina-tions and the Caribbean Examinations Council and General Certificate of Educa-tion examinations, Murdock said that arrangements could be made individually by schools or students.
Apart from the arbitration issue the strike is being called to address the non-payment of the Whitley Council leave allowance with effect from January, 2002; non-payment of the increased hard-lying allowances with effect from January, 2002 as supported by the Ministry of Education; the non-increase of remuneration for additional qualifications from the University of Guyana (UG); and the failure of the ministry to follow up the issue of house lots to the 1,500 teachers who had submitted application forms.
The GTU informed the ministry of its intended actions on Monday morning, Murdock said.
Dr Jeffrey said yesterday that the GTU’s delaying tactic in not expediting the arbitration process in December was one of “pussyfooting” to allow the ministry to pay teachers and then force the issue of arbitration.
The payout for teachers’ salaries for last year ranged from 5% to 15% depending on the categories.
Dr Jeffrey told Stabroek News he had urged the union to start the negotiations early in the year so that in the event of a deadlock, conciliation and arbitration could have been dealt with before the year was out.
Instead, he said that the GTU began sending their proposals for a three-year period on October 31.
On the issue of those teachers who were paid below the minimum wage of the traditional public servant, Dr Jeffrey said that the government’s position was that it would bring the level of the teacher’s salaries on par with the public servant over a two to three year period.
He said that for 2001 the sum of $80M was paid to lessen the gap, for 2002 another $60M was allocated and this year another sum should be budgeted to close that gap.
On the issue of the Whitley Council leave, he said the calculations were done by the ministry and the union and that had been budgeted for.
So the payout would be from January 2003 and not January 2002.
On the issue of the house lots, Dr Jeffrey said that the understanding was that the GTU would have nominated a representative to follow up the issue with the Ministry of Housing and Water and not for the Ministry of Education to follow up the matter on behalf of the union. But he added that because of the government’s interest the ministry would be pursuing the issue.