“My main concern is that our children are in school”- Education CEO

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn0PJ9KXeOE” width=”100%” height=”315″]
Conciliation talks not exhaustedMin. of Social Protection

– adjourned until further notice

─ “before any progress can be made at Conciliation, the current Strike Action initiated by the Union must be called off… a Memorandum containing Terms of Resumption has to be signed by the Parties”

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Education, Marcel Hutson told the media that his main concern is to ensure is that nation’s children are in school when the new term begins.

The CEO was speaking to the media following the Conciliation talks which were conducted today at the Ministry of Social Protection between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union under the Chairmanship of the Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle. The talks have since been adjourned until further notice.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Protection Labour Department and Guyana Teachers’ Union engaged in discussions.

The Ministry of Social Protection has firmly stated that the conciliation talks have not yet been exhausted. The Guyana Teachers Union has indicated that it is prepared to call off the industrial strike action in favour of arbitration.

According to the Ministry of Social Protection, “grievance procedures as contained in the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) existing between the Parties provides for the exhaustion of Conciliation before Arbitration can be contemplated.”

It was stated by the Ministry of Social Protection “before any progress can be made at Conciliation, the current Strike Action initiated by the Union must be called off.” It was also noted that “a Memorandum containing Terms of Resumption has to be signed by the Parties.”

However, since the GTU has not agreed to the terms of resumption governing the end of the strike and the advancement of Conciliation, the meeting was adjourned.

Anara Khan

Images: Keno George

CATEGORIES
TAGS