The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has only found favour with one of the four proposals made by the Ministry of Education in its final offer on teachers’ salaries for 2002 and 2003.

The GTU responded in writing to the proposals put forward by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Ganga Persaud, in a letter dated June 30. Union President Sydney Murdock said that because of what he called the ministry’s ‘unreasonableness’, the GTU would not take part in bilateral negotiations but would continue discussions at the level of conciliation and allow the engagement to continue in keeping with “our agreement re: Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute.”

Murdock said the first proposal of “$50M to be used to bring those teachers who are below the Public Service minimum wage up to the same for 2003” had left the union “rather confused”. He said the GTU’s understanding, based on documentation received from the Ministry of Labour when the terms of resumption were being brokered, was that the $50M was supposed to be used to bring teachers below the public service minimum wage up to the same level for 2002, and not 2003 as stated in the letter. This proposal, he said, “would seem to be making a liar of Labour Minister, Dr Dale Bisnauth.”

The second proposal indicates that the $15M would be factored in to close the dispute for 2002, and a three per cent increase put in place for all teachers for 2003. Murdock said these were the same amounts previously offered by former permanent secretary, Hydar Ally on June 18, 2003. This was the reason why the GTU opted for conciliation, he said.

Murdock said that since Persaud seemed to be stuck in the same mode as his predecessor, he saw no reason now, why the GTU should indulge in time wasting exercises at the bilateral level with the Ministry of Education. He said it was “clear to us that good faith is not a part of the agenda of the Ministry of Education where these negotiations are concerned.”

In relation to the $60M for Whitley Council leave for 2003, Murdock said he trusted that it would be adequate. But he added that their contention was that despite a written agreement teachers were still to receive this allowance.

He noted that the ministry had not mentioned the issue of Whitley Council leave for 2002. This he said was another direct breach of the terms of resumption signed by the GTU and the Ministry of Education.