The minutes for the first round of negotiations between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) have confirmed that the two sides have agreed to discuss salary increases for the period 2019-2023. 

Hours after the President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte told reporters that Thursday’s meeting ended with an agreement that the salary negotiations will begin with the 2019 to 2023 period, the Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain, in a statement, said there was no such agreement.

But according the minutes of the meeting, signed by both Lyte and Hussain, the parties agreed that the no. 2 issue to discuss, as proposed by the GTU, would be “salary matters included in the multi-year proposal 2019-2023.”

“Both parties agreed to meet on Tuesday, 12^th of March, 2024 at 9:30hs at the MoE, Boardroom to discuss the following items: a. The salary matters included in the multi-year proposal 2019-2023; b. the 2% difference in salary for 2017 and 2018; c. the clothing allowance increase; and d. whitley council being paid every 3 years,” a section of the signed document stated. 

In his statement, the Chief Education Officer said “the government maintains its original position that any multi-year agreement must start from the year 2024, not retroactively,” but nowhere in minutes references such a position. 

According to the document, Hussain, in his remarks, said the Education Ministry intends to address five additional issues, other than those identified by the Union. 

The Education Ministry, according to the list of priority areas agreed upon, put forward the issues of absenteeism, punctuality, demotion of heads and deputies from poor performing schools, compulsory CPD hours per years, and completion of SBAs. 

The two ides are expected to meet again come Tuesday in keeping with an agreement reach at the conclusion of a mediation process ordered by the Court. 

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