GEORGETOWN –  The Government of Guyana has made an initial proposal of a 7% salary increase for teachers for this year with a further 6% increase for 2025 and another 6% increase for 2026, according to sources familiar with the proposal.

The counter proposal by the Government follows the submitted proposal of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, which is seeking a 39.5% salary increase for this year with an additional 30% increase for each of the years 2025 and 2026. There has been no agreement on any of the two proposals, but the two sides met again today in their ongoing efforts to hammer out a multi-year agreement. Already, some non-salary issues have been settled, but the salary increases appear to be the stumbling block.

Following today’s five hour meeting between the two sides, President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte, said while there is some progress being made in some areas, the two sides have agreed not to divulge details of the meeting at this time. “Both sides committed to not releasing details on the discussions, but I would say for the most part, our discussion today went very well, and you can see that the members are hopeful, optimistic that in the short term, we will have a signed agreement,” the GTU President said.

Lyte also declined to offer any comment on the Government’s proposal, indicating that during the course of today’s negotiations, there were a number of financial and non-financial matters that were not settled. “The proposal put forward by the Ministry, like I said, several areas they have to go back and get, because when they proposed certain things, the Union might have said, we don’t quite agree with this and those are being reviewed,” he said.

A performance-based incentive of 2% per annum, an annual health/risk allowance of $25,000, and monthly internet/mobile data allowance of $10,000 to be paid to all teachers are among the other financial measures proposed by the Union.  When the Union and the Education Ministry met earlier this month for their first round of negotiation, following the end of the 75-day long nationwide protest, it was reported that they had agreed on a number of non-financial measures.  The next meeting between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union is set for the 5th August. (newssourcegy)…[+]

MIAMI – The United States (US) Coast Guard on Tuesday said the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Forward offloaded in Port Everglades, Florida more than 7,302 pounds of cocaine with an assessed street value of about US$96 million, interdicted in the Caribbean Sea.

The US Coast Guard said its crews, working alongside interagency and international partners, interdicted the illegal drugs during three separate cases.  “This was another vital success of our combined drug interdiction efforts,” Lieutenant Commander Juan Ramirez said. “These drug offloads underscore our continued partnerships with the US Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy in combating the flow of illicit narcotics across the Caribbean.”

“The success of our joint efforts to save lives by reducing the availability of these harmful drugs is dependent on our cooperation with regional and international partners,” he added. The US Coast Guard said three suspected smugglers will face prosecution in US federal courts by the Department of Justice. “Detecting and interdicting illegal drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination,” said the US Coast Guard.

“Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the US Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension,” the US Coast Guard continued. It said interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the US Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami. (Jamaicaobserver)…[+]

GAZA – Families of hostages held captive in Gaza condemned Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United States Congress, as pressure grows on the Israeli prime minister to agree to a deal to secure their release. The speech and applause won’t erase the one sad fact: The words ‘Deal Now!’ were absent from the prime minister’s address,” The Hostage and Missing Families Forum in Israel said in a statement.
Although Netanyahu’s speech drew raucous applause inside Congress, dozens of Democrats refused to attend. Among those who snubbed the speech was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called it “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”
People gathered at the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to watch Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has become a potent political force in Israel since some 250 people were abducted by Hamas on October 7, and the square a regular site of protests demanding that the hostages be brought home. “They came to watch the broadcast of the speech and hear addresses from family members of the hostages, hoping to hear the Prime Minister utter the two crucial words: ‘There’s a deal,’” the statement from the Forum said.
During his nearly 52-minute address, Netanyahu lashed out against critics of Israel’s war in Gaza but did not mention the status of the ceasefire negotiations, despite intense international pressure to find a deal and growing optimism that one could soon be struck. Rather than mentioning a deal, a bellicose Netanyahu told Congress: “The war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms and returns all the hostages. But if they don’t, Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, end its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home.” But Netanyahu is facing growing calls to negotiate a deal to secure the hostages’ release. Noam Peri, daughter of Chaim Peri, who the Israeli government last month said died in Hamas captivity, said: “You can no longer save my father, but you must return to our shared values and restore the basic contract between us – before it’s too late.” “Sign the deal, save the hostages who are alive and fighting for their lives every moment,” she urged. Criticism from families of hostages was echoed by Yair Lapid of the opposition Labor party, who wrote on X: “Disgrace! An hour of talking without saying the one sentence: ‘There will be a kidnapping deal.’ But Netanyahu’s speech was lauded by members of his government. (CCN)…[+]