GTU to present new position on Terms of Resumption at Friday meeting with MoE

The President of the Guyana Teachers Union, Mark Lyte, has confirmed that another meeting with the Ministry of Education is set for Friday, as the strike action by teachers continue.

While holding back on details, Mr. Lyte revealed that the Union will be heading into that meeting with an agreed position, based on consultations with teachers from across the country on the Terms of Resumption.

In one of those consultative sessions, the Vice President of the Union, Collis Nicholson said the union was concerned that teachers could be struck off the “pay sheet” if they fail to report to work on the last day of the current school term and the first day of the next school term.

The union President said the arrived decision on Terms of Resumption will be made known tomorrow.

Meanwhile at a press conference today, President Irfaan Ali expressed optimism that the ongoing nationwide strike by teachers could soon come to an end as discussions on the Terms of Resumption between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) continue.

According to the President, there have been ongoing discussions between the two sides on the Terms of Resumption, and there is a possibility that normalcy in the public education sector could return soon.

“[Based on] the most recent feedback I have received, there seems to be some movement in relation to getting to an initial agreement and terms that could see this situation return to some amount of normalcy,” President Ali told reporters.

The strike, which has hit every region of the country, has been going for more than 70 days – effectively crippling the public education sector.

Despite a mountain of criticisms over Government’s perceived failure to effectively respond to the needs of teachers, and a Court ruling, which found that the Government has failed to engage in Collective Bargaining, President Ali today said, his Government has always had the nation’s educators and children at heart.

“But for us, the teachers are important, the students are important, the parents are important and learning is important, and our priority is to ensure that our children do not suffer and our teachers. And, that is why we are investing in giving our teachers the best infrastructure conditions to work in and supporting their career development and supporting their personal aspirations for education, becoming trained. We are committed to ensuring that they have fair treatment, we are committed to ensuring that their welfare, and their lives in totality improves as the country continues to improve, that is a priority,” the President said.

Both the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers’ Union have repeatedly expressed a need for the situation to return to normalcy, but their last meeting on June 10 on the Terms of Resumption ended in gridlock.