Mark Lyte suspended by GTU over wage deal
Dec 19, 2024
Kaieteur News- President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Dr Mark Lyte and his Second Vice President, Julian Cambridge, were suspended on Tuesday evening following a meeting with members of the Union’s General Council.
This newspaper was informed of the suspension hours after a motion was moved to have the two men removed. The decision to suspend the two GTU executives was purportedly due to them accepting the 10 per cent pay increase offered by the Government to teachers back in August.
Suspended: Dr Mark Lyte.
Kaieteur News understands that the motion to suspend Dr Lyte and Cambridge was supported by 22 of some 32 persons who attended the meeting. A source close to the issue told this publication that the move to suspend Dr Lyte and 2nd VP Cambridge had been in the making for some time now.
“Since that agreement was signed, teachers across the country, were peeved and upset. Many of the rank-and-file members might say that there was an ulterior motive by those who signed the agreement, but when the deal was signed it was in keeping the constitution of the GTU,” the source said.
“There was a general council meeting and most of the people voted in support, accepting the 10 per cent that the government was offering at the time. So when Mr Lyte accepted the offer, it was constitutionally correct since this is what most persons voted for,” the source added.
Kaieteur News understands that with Dr Lyte being suspended, Marissa Williams, the 1st VP, will take over his functions. No one has been appointed to act for Mr. Cambridge.
Suspended: 2nd Vice President, Julian Cambridge
To the displeasure of many teachers last August, Dr. Lyte signed a multi-year agreement with the government accepting the ten per cent pay hike for teachers and a slew of other benefits. Among other things, the agreement stipulates that teachers will receive a salary increase of 10% for 2024, 8% for 2025 and 9% for 2026. These are the same increases that were previously rejected by the Union.
(Mark Lyte suspended by GTU over wage deal )
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