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The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education are currently in the midst of crucial negotiations regarding the teachers’ package, following a significant two-phase strike action. Dr. Mark Lyte, President of the GTU, announced that both parties have conducted a series of productive discussions, particularly focusing on the union’s revised multi-year proposal. “The union recognized that the interests of teachers and the Guyanese children are paramount to this whole process,” stated Dr. Lyte, in an exclusive interview with our publication. He emphasized that despite not addressing percentage increases yet, several items leading to increased remuneration for teachers were agreed upon.
In the initial round of negotiations, the Ministry of Education showed willingness to accept various elements of the union’s proposal, which includes proposals for salary bumps for teachers in the TS1 to TS3 scales, as well as for those in the TS4 to TS19 scales. Dr. Lyte highlighted, “We thought that to bump those teachers up, a proposal of I think, if I can remember clearly, it’s about 39.5 percent we proposed for that category in 2024 and subsequently 30 percent on the subsequent years of 2025-2026.” These categories cover a significant portion of the teaching population, ranging from assistant masters and mistresses to principals and head teachers.
Addressing the concerns of the teachers, Dr. Lyte called for patience and trust in the union’s leadership. “There’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of persons who are of the opinion that, you know, they’re not hearing anything,” he acknowledged. He assured the teachers that the GTU’s negotiation team, composed of active educators, is dedicated to achieving a fair deal. Dr. Lyte appealed to the educators to remain calm and allow the trusted leadership to negotiate a favorable outcome. As negotiations continue, both the GTU and the Ministry of Education aim to finalize an agreement before the new school term begins.
