Teachers to enjoy interim salary increase until task force completes dossier

The team that met with the President
Georgetown: President David Granger met a delegation from the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Monday at State House to discuss the way forward with regard to negotiations between the Government and the Union. During the meeting the two sides agreed to the establishment of a High-Level Task Force comprising on one hand, representatives from the Ministries of Education, Finance, Communities, Public Service and Presidency and, on the other hand, representatives from the Union. The Task Force is expected to be constituted by Wednesday, November 1, 2017. The Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry has consented to taking the issue of the composition of the Task Force to Cabinet on October 31, 2017. The Task Force will hold its first meeting to establish timelines for its meetings and the completion of  its work. The Union has agreed to provide a complete dossier of its financial and non-financial submissions by Wednesday, November 1, 2017. The President proposed that the discussions take a holistic view on the improvement of the education sector. The Task Force will also take account of the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Education Sector in Guyana and other matters relating to the well being of teachers and students. In the meantime, teachers will enjoy an interim salary increase ranging  from six to eight percent, retroactive to January 1, 2017.