The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Council met Tuesday, December 17, 2024 and decided to suspend its President Dr. Mark Lyte and 2nd Vice President Julian Cambridge pending an investigation into their actions that led to the Union signing a Salary Agreement with the Ministry of Education last August. The decision was taken by a vote of 24 yeas and 8 nays.
This publication was advised that the concern of the General Council that led to the decision was the abandonment of the Grievance Procedure that allows the dispute to be taken to conciliation and if conciliation fails then arbitration steps in. This is consistent with the Grievance Procedure between the Union and education ministry. The Labour Act, Chp 98:01 allows for similar intervention.
On August 21, 2024 when the Agreement was signed by Lyte and Cambridge, the membership said their right to pursue the agreement to finality as allowed for in the Collective Labour Agreement was denied. Some members of the Union’s negotiating team also complained the Agreement was signed without their input.
In trade union relations it is custom and practice that the leadership return to the membership to discuss the employer’s offer and be guided accordingly. Some are saying this did not happen.
Village Voice News was informed an investigation committee will be established and names have been identified. When this publication reached out to the union leadership for comment on the composition of the team, they declined to name the persons identified pending acceptance by those identified to serve.
The General Council is the Union’s second highest decision-making forum after its Congress.