–Jagdeo discloses, says GTU’s rogue elements misleading country’s educators, media
-affirms commitment to working with union’s ‘sensible heads’

THE proposed 10 per cent pay hike for Guyana’s educators will amount to $12 billion over a period of three years, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

Dr. Jagdeo’s comments came just one day after the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), led by Opposition Member of Parliament Coretta Mc Donald rejected the government’s 10 per cent salary increase offer.

The Union and the Ministry of Education for the past weeks have been embroiled in negotiations to meet a consensus for the increase of wages for educators.

The Government proposed a salary increase of 10 per cent for this year. The government had made several proposals prior, however, those were rejected by the union.

“We spent nearly $40 billion dollars on wages and salaries for teachers per year. This here works out to $4 billion; the 10 per cent and over the three years when you look at it cumulatively, that will be maybe just about 12 per cent. It would be about 12 billion,” Dr. Jagdeo keenly pointed out during a press conference at his party’s Georgetown headquarters.

This, he noted, does not included further adjustments the government intends to make to the salary scale of educators.

Jagdeo stated that the Union, which is currently run by individuals with political motives, is misleading the country’s educators.

“We said we are approaching this in a different manner. We want to work collaboratively with the union; I think that many of the sober heads; the sensible heads in the union see a great attempt to address the concerns of teachers,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

The government, he reiterated, is making a “dedicated effort” to address the concerns of teachers. He further pointed out that those at the helm of the union want the issue resolved with teachers.

Earlier this year, some teachers had engaged in industrial action, lobbying for salary adjustments.

The GTU was at the time requesting a backdated collective bargaining agreement. After several talks between the Education Ministry and the GTU, a new 2024-2026 multi-year agreement was proposed.

For some months, the GTU spearheaded picketing action outside the Ministry of Education’s head office on Brickdam, Georgetown. And while the union had been persistent in its calls for increased wages, Dr. Jagdeo, during a previous press conference, said that almost 10 per cent of this year’s budget caters to the education sector, with focus being placed on better working conditions for teachers, and increased training opportunities.

He noted that monies have been allocated for the rehabilitation of schools, and the construction of new ones, and said that this ensures better facilities are provided for children and teachers alike.

“Who would benefit from this? People who go to school; our children and our teachers. They would have better facilities in schools, so teachers could be more comfortable working [in] environment and our children can have better learning environments.”

Approximately $135 billion dollars was announced for the education sector in this year’s fiscal package.

Dr. Jagdeo, on Thursday, further pointed out that the government is still examining adjustments to the salary scale of teachers.

At the end of 2023, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had revealed new adjustments to teachers’ salaries, and interventions that will accumulate to a total of $1.9 billion in additional disposable income for the country’s educators.