GTU will call off strike if conditions are met

Teachers are willing to call off a countrywide strike only if a request by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) for arbitration is accepted, among others.

Mandatory conciliatory talks are currently ongoing between the GTU and the Ministry of Education, supervised by the Department of Labour at the Ministry of Social Protection’s Brickdam Office today.

At the meeting, the Union proposed that the two parties head into arbitration to resolve issues surrounding salary increase negotiations.

The Union wants the arbitration panel to comprise of an independent chairperson and representatives of the GTU and the Education Ministry.

The GTU believes that the Labour Department is not in a position to act as an arbitrator since it was part of the Government delegation that was persuading the teachers to accept the Ministry’s $700M ballpark offer.

The union is proposing that the strike be called off on the following terms:

• There shall be no victimization by either party
• There shall be no loss of pay and seniority
• The extant issues be referred to an arbitration panel
• The chairmanship shall be agreed upon before the resumption of work
• The status quo ante shall be respected by everyone involved in this situation