Granger to meet GTU after negotiations break down with Edu. Minister

President David Granger is “concerned” about the reports regarding the outcome of the meeting between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry on Thursday as it relates to negotiations of salary increases and other non-salary benefits for its members.

According to a joint statement from the Government and GTU on Friday, October 27, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon met with executives of the Union and informed them of the willingness of the President to meet with the Union on Monday, October 30, at 11:00 hrs to discuss all matters of concern to the Union.

“The Union indicated its acceptance of His Excellency, the President’s offer and iterated that it was committed to the process of Collective Bargaining and that it would bring these developments to the attention of its members,” the joint statement noted.

The GTU stormed out of a meeting with Henry after its members felt disrespected by the stance she took on several issues affecting them.

GTU President Mark Lyte told News Room during a telephone interview that the Minister was not prepared to speak to the Union about their concerns and had prepared a PowerPoint presentation in an effort to distract from the real issues.

“The Minister was disrespectful and uncaring,” he expressed.

One of the major issues affecting teachers across the country is the fact that they have not received a salary increase since 2015. Lyte said when this matter was raised with Minister Henry, she informed the Union that teachers will be getting the same increase as other public servants.

Harmon had earlier promised that the GTU salary and wage negotiations would be separate from that of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

However, the joint statement today noted that Minister Harmon indicated that the meeting with the Minister of Education was never intended to be the final position of the Administration but rather an interim arrangement.