Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced on July 15 that thousands of teachers across Guyana will start receiving benefits this month under the historic multi-year agreement concluded between the government of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union earlier this year.
In making the announcement, Minister Singh indicated that he had instructed that funds be released by the Finance Ministry to the relevant agencies, and that the applicable payrolls be processed to implement the terms of the agreement. The minister stated that this having been done, and other required administrative steps having been taken, Guyana’s teachers would commence receiving the benefits provided for under the agreement when they receive their salaries for July, which are expected to be paid from next week.
Under the multiyear agreement, which is the second of its kind concluded between government and the teachers union, teachers will receive a five per cent across-the-board increase in salaries for 2011 retroactive from January 1, 2011. In addition, the five-year agreement provides for a similar five per cent across-the-board increase in salaries to be paid each year from 2012 to 2015. The agreement also provides increased remuneration for teachers who have improved their qualifications, and grants increases in the station and hard-lying allowances. The previous five-year agreement covered 2006-2010, while the current agreement covers 2011-2015.
In his 2011 Budget Speech, which was presented in Parliament on January 17, Minister Singh had reported on the successful implementation of the 2006-2010 agreement.
He went on to state: “Government regards multi-year agreements as the preferred mechanism for achieving predictability in wages and salaries, and will continue to encourage the conclusion of such agreements with the representatives of organised labour in the future”, a position that has been maintained by the government over the years.
Like its predecessor, the 2011-2015 multi-year agreement was applauded by stakeholders across the country, including the leadership of the teachers union, who described it at the time as “a giant leap forward, taking into consideration the plethora of non-salary benefits for teachers”. It is expected that nearly 10,000 teachers in the public education system will benefit from the payout being made under the 2011-2015 multi-year agreement.
