By Saskia Warrick
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has expressed concern that the recent demands put forward by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) do not prioritize the wellbeing of teachers.
In a recent statement, Nandlall highlighted the GTU’s proposal for an immediate 20% increase in salaries before further negotiations can proceed, alongside the recusal of the Labour Minister from the negotiation process and other demands.
According to Nandlall, these demands reflect a lack of genuine interest in resolving teachers’ concerns through conciliation.
The GTU’s ultimatum for negotiations to commence within 72 hours, with the threat of strike actions until a substantial agreement is reached, has resulted in an impasse.
Nandlall believes that this situation indicates that the Union may have motives beyond the wellbeing of educators.
Nandlall also raised concerns about the affordability and sustainability of the requested salary increases, particularly noting the absence of provisions for retroactive salaries for teachers.
In response to the GTU’s demands, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has deemed them unacceptable and unreasonable.
She views the demands as potentially derailing the negotiation process.
Despite this, Manickchand emphasized that her ministry remains open to discussions at the next conciliation meeting scheduled for Monday, May 20.
As negotiations between the GTU and the government continue, concerns persist regarding the resolution of teachers’ grievances and the overall wellbeing of educators in Guyana.