The agreements for the salary increase entail the discussion of the collective pact with the teaching. Although the negotiations between the Steg and the MINEDUC have an advance of 85 %, according to informed sources, there is no defined date to conclude the meetings. If the increase will be a percentage or per fixed amount, it is the topic discussed since November.
On July 24, 2024 it was agreed that the articles of the new collective pact of the teaching that have an economic impact would be at the end of the negotiation. By November, the minutes of the meetings, to which Press Libre had access through a request for public information, show that discussions have focused on the formula of the increase for teachers, Yeah by percentage or for a fixed amount.
In the collective pact still in force 3% are established on the base salary of the teachers, applicable by 2023. The amount and the way it will be done is what remains in discussion between the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and the Union of Education Workers of Guatemala (Steg), according to a source close to the negotiation.
For María Isabel Bonilla de Anzueto, analyst at the National Economic Research Center (one hundred), any decision on a salary readjustment must be linked to the good performance of the teacher.
Discussing a salary increase in a collective pact of working conditions without establishing requirements for such adjustment “is to make a decision contrary to what we expect: that the salary is related to the teacher’s performance in the classroom,” said Bonilla. He adds that the discussion about whether the readjustment must be by percentage or per fixed amount goes to the background.
The analyst mentioned that any increase policy It must be linked to the State’s ability to finance itbecause this also impacts passive classes.
“The pacts become a means of political struggle where, in the end, the teacher is thought of, but not the student as the true center of the education system. If this discussion is made without bases to grant the increase, collective agreements will be imposed on educational policies, on current laws, and we will be subject to the negotiation capacity of the unions,” he added.
Salary readjustment
In Act 31, of November 13, it is detailed that the lawyer Luis Felipe Leiva, an advisor to the MINEDUC, explained the “legal impossibility” to grant an increase as a proportion of the current salary, due to the regulations of the Government Agreement 312-2023. This document indicates that, in the issue of collective agreements and agreements, It is forbidden to negotiate economic benefits as a percentage on the initial salary In relation to collective pacts.
The option would be to propose specific amounts for all workers to be benefited equally, according to the source close to the negotiation.
He added that, whatever the decision, it should be considered that salary readjust there are financial capacity to comply with the agreed commitments.
In the documents, the possibility of presenting a counterproposal on the articles that have hindered the progress of the discussion due to its economic impact on the portfolio budget, as well as a road map to continue the negotiation.
According to the source consulted, during December the salary increase was not discussed beyond what is shown in the minutes that Free press He had access. However, he considers that until the third week of March 2025 the agreements with the STEG will have advanced by 85%, and that there is no defined period to conclude the discussion of the collective pact.
Discord points
The minutes of the meetings held between September 11 and December 18, 2024 show the points that have slowed the negotiation.
The issues that impact the MINEDUC budget are the ones that have most delayed discussion, according to the authorities. The list includes article 60, subsection c), which establishes the extension of the Magisterial Solidarity Program. Article 63 on Post Mortem compensation. Articles 64 and 65 that regulate the adjustment and calculation of the salary increase, respectively, and article 67 that refers to the annual bonus.
There are other points that, although they do not affect the budget, have also hindered the progress of the discussion. An example is article 27, which regulates maternity breaks and establishes that workers will enjoy additional resting days. However, The expression “in coordination with the STEG”, included in the provision, has prevented its approval.
The MINEDUC argued that, written in this way, the article grants the union powers in administrative matters that are exclusive competence of the portfolio. For this reason, the discussion of the point has been postponed since April and the trade unionists have been requested to present an alternative writing proposal.
The school medical insurance, which was suspended in February 2024, is another issue in discord. The representatives of the Ministry argue that This was replaced by the school health program, So you should no longer appear in the collective pact. However, the Steg has reiterated that it must be maintained as written in article 20 of the current collective agreement. The lack of consensus has repeatedly postponed the final writing.
Since March 6, the MINEDUC asked the union representatives to present the documentation confirming that the Steg is the majority union, a requirement that was demanded at each meeting. The constancy was presented until September 18.
Current salaries
The monthly basic salary for the level of pre-primary and primary education was established in Q4 thousand 338 (while those specialized in rural education receive Q4 thousand 270, and those cataloged as empirical Q4 thousand 232. These positions have additional the ranking percentage, based on the Government Agreement 314-2023 that sets the salary for the national teaching.
For teachers who occupy positions of Director Professor entitled in Primary the initial monthly salary is Q4 thousand 232, and are not entitled to the ranking percentage. Those who impart full time Physical education The salary is Q 4 thousand 606, and those of Telesecundaria in line 022 receive Q3 thousand 307. Meanwhile, those in line 021 The salary is according to the number of hours worked and the position they occupy, this goes from Q1 thousand 527 to Q4 thousand 259.
The CC is about to resolve confidentiality
The negotiation of the collective pact of the teaching has remained secret since the MINEDUC and the Steg began to negotiate on March 6, 2024. It has been a year, and the little known comes from the minutes that are raised after each meeting.
Last November, the National Civic Movement (MCN) presented an unconstitutionality action in the Constitutional Court (CC) against the confidentiality of the Petitions of the Collective Pact, considering that it violates the constitutional principles of advertising and transparency.
“We are concerned that from the beginning of the negotiation, citizens have not had accurate information about how public resources will be used and how the Ministry of Education will attend the collective pact. We have seen that there are approved increases and readjustments that end up being privileges for the union dome,” said Christter, MCN.
Last February, the organization participated in a public view in which it presented its arguments against the confidentiality of the collective pact of the teaching staff, remembering that all the acts of the administration are public, as established in article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic.
The magistrates are in the phase to issue a sentence on the legal action presented by MCNaccording to the CC Communication Department.