Following a day and a half of discussions between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education, Minister Priya Manickchand has revealed that the GTU breached the confidentiality clause of the conciliation process.
During the discussions, a list containing five terms of resumption areas was deliberated upon, with both parties agreeing on three of the five.
However, discussions were adjourned for the following day to address the remaining two points.
Upon resuming talks the next day, the GTU presented a new list of demands before the conciliation process could proceed further.
This new list included a call for an immediate payment of a 20 percent increase to teachers, among other demands.
Minister Manickchand expressed disappointment at this development, stating that negotiations were at a point where an agreement seemed imminent.
However, the GTU’s actions disrupted the progress made during the conciliation process.
Despite this setback, Minister Manickchand announced that the next date set for the conciliation process is Monday, May 20th.
She emphasized that while the GTU’s actions could be grounds for termination of the process, the ministry remains open to discussing the terms of resumption.
Minister Manickchand reiterated the importance of returning to the negotiating table in good faith to reach a resolution.
She emphasized the need for both parties to engage in a reasonable manner, in line with typical industrial relations practices following a period of strike action.
The conciliation process, which commenced on May 13th at the request of the Ministry of Education, aims to address the grievances raised by the GTU and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
Reported by Delicia Janneire for NCN News