A meeting between representatives of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the members of a high level committee has been set for next Wednesday (March 13, 2019) during which the union’s salary increase proposal for public school teachers will be discussed.
The meeting, which will be held at the Education Ministry’s 26 Brickdam, Georgetown office from 10:00 hours, will see the union being represented by a delegation including, at least, two specialists with vast economic experience. This is according to GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, who disclosed that in addition to submitting its salary increase proposal to the Ministry, the union had also provided the Ministry with a document justifying its proposal.
In its proposal the union is aiming for, among other things, a 25 percent across the board increase for public school teachers. The union is also proposing conditions for the re-employment of retired teachers; the need for grants for schools which are often subjected to inadequate stock; incentive for teachers with additional qualifications and those qualified in areas of physical education and special needs education. “Some of the things we have fine-tuned them. We still have things like duty-free concessions, continuation of the Whitley Council [leave]…we are proposing adjustment to Whitley Council; we have clothing allowances; we have house-lots for teachers still on the cards and we do have other things like class size issues. The class size for special needs schools, we are requesting a smaller number or in cases where the number cannot be smaller we are recommending a teacher’s aide for the teachers so at all times there will be two persons to the class,” the GTU President related.
