Guyana’s public school teachers and their representatives, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), are continuing industrial action to bring the Government to the negotiation table. The Union not only want the government at the table but is demanding this be done consistent with the constitutional right of unionised to collective bargaining. Article 147 in the Constitution of Guyana protects the right of workers to join a trade union of choice, engage in collective bargaining and freedom to strike.
The strike, which began on February 5, 2024 was put on pause March 4, 2024 arriving from a court-brokered agreement between the GTU and Ministry of Education to commence negotiation between the two sides for the period 2019-2023.
Subsequent to the agreement the two parties met on March 9, 2024. At the second meeting on March 12, 2023 the government walked away from the agreement, but accused the Union of walking away which the Union countered.
Empowered by the court’s decision of April 19, 2024 the strike was lawful and government must respect the teachers’ right to collective bargaining, GTU called on the government to meet with them. Government’s refusal to meet led to the resumption on the strike last Thursday, May 9.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the teachers were the road protesting in colour-cordinated attire. Today, GTU hosts a ‘National Day of Prayer’ and invited the public to participate in this exercise with the teachers from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
The leadership and membership of the Union are determined to secure a new collective labour agreement.
Meanwhile the Union has submitted a proposal to the government to restore normalcy. Among the Union’s proposal is an interim across-the-board increase of 20 percent, non-discrimination by either side; if negotiation fails the parties will move to arbitration with each side appointing its representative and agreeing on the chairmanship.