The passage on the route to the Atlantic was obstructed this May 12 by affiliates of the Union of Education Workers of Guatemala (Steg), who demonstrated against the 5% salary increase announced by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) for teachers, as of June 1.
They did not wear red, as usual, and the union leader Joviel Acevedo was not present in the march that reached the headquarters of the Departmental Directorate of Education Guatemala Norte, in the 2 capital zone, where the mobilization was finally dissolved.
The protesters pointed out that teachers do not agree With the 5% increase announced by the Minister of EducationAnabella Giracca, since it is not consistent with the cost of the basic basket. In addition, they argued that the percentage was established unilaterally and without discussion at the negotiating table of the collective pact. The proposal of the STEG leaders is an increase of 15%.
However, the MINEDUC authorities indicated that there is no reverse in the salary increase announced for teachers and administrative staff, in which case the adjustment will be Q400 per month. Likewise, the two bonds that are delivered in June and December were increased in Q500.
“5% is already a fact, you can no longer discuss whether or not it goes”said the Vice Minister Technical, Francisco Cabrera.
He added that it is the Faculty of the Executive to set salary increases and that this is a benefit for the teaching. “The decision is based on law, does not admit discussion. That, from now on, is history,” he said, adding that this is the maximum amount that the portfolio can grant at this time.
The economic benefits that teachers will receive represent a disbursement of Q609 million in the seven months of the year. 50% of the funds will come from the payroll economies of the portfolioand the rest will be assumed by the Ministry of Finance.
The amount that teachers receive will vary according to their ranks. For example: the preprimary and primary teachers who are on the ranks to receive Q220 more in their salary, while those in the Flafon F will receive an increase of Q495. As for the June and December bonds, the sum will go from Q2 thousand 500 to Q3 thousand.
Discussion will continue
The negotiation on the salary increase for the teaching concluded with 5% announced by Giracca; However, in the collective pact there are other articles with economic impact whose discussion was postponed, as recorded in the minutes raised after each meeting, to which Press Libre had access through a request for public information.
On July 24, 2024, it was agreed that articles with an impact on Mineduc finance would be at the end of the negotiation. These points have to be discussed in the coming weeks.
Among these is the relative to the Postmortem compensation —Suma that in the previous pact amounted to 10 minimum wages, “as well as Professionalization and annual bondswhich were Q700 and Q2 thousand 500, respectively.
Section 72 was also postponed, which does not appear in the previous pact and states that teachers with more than 20 years of RiECIBAN 20 equivalent salaries to the accrued, in case of voluntary retirement, in addition to improving the retirement roof to at least Q10 thousand.
Another of the postponed articles was that of the salary increase, which in the previous collective pact was 3% on the base salary.
Due to this delay, the salary increase was announced on April 30. Giracca said: the negotiation with the Steg had advanced by 85% and we could not sacrifice the salary increase for continuing to wait to put these issues on the table.
About the collective pact
The collective pact of working conditions for the teaching won in March 2024 and remains in force until a new one is signed.
The negotiation of a new document It began on February 29 of that year under confidentialitycondition accepted by the government minister of Alejandro Giammattei, Claudia Ruiz.
The current MINEDUC authorities have several times to make public the project presented by the STEG; However, after several amparos, the document remains in reserve.
The last action of the authorities was to denounce as unconstitutional seven articles of the pact, considering that they give the trade unionists functions that correspond exclusively to the ministerial authority.