The General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to negotiating a multi-year agreement for teachers’ wages starting in 2024.
He addressed this issue during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, responding to questions about whether the teachers’ demands for wages and salary increases stem from financial constraints.
On May 9, teachers in Guyana initiated a second wave of industrial action, which led to negotiations starting on May 13 and continuing until May 14.
The government has shown a willingness to discuss compensation increases commencing in 2024.
However, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is pushing for retroactive pay raises covering the period from 2019 to 2023.
The GTU has set a condition of a 20 percent increase before teachers consider returning to classrooms and is open to negotiating a package for the years 2022 to 2025.
During his press conference, Dr. Jagdeo highlighted that recurrent expenditure on wages and salaries in the public sector, encompassing central government, statutory bodies, and public corporations, has surged from approximately $120 billion in 2020 to $210 billion.
He stressed the need for strategic financial planning to sustain this growth.
Dr. Jagdeo also pointed out that over the past three years, the government has allocated a third of the proceeds from the oil and gas sector to fund various budgetary programs, particularly in the housing sector.
The ongoing negotiations and the government’s readiness to engage in a multi-year agreement reflect a significant step towards resolving the teachers’ demands and ensuring better compensation structures in the coming years.