Public service employees will soon be receiving a salary increase of 5% that will be retroactive to January 2013.
Cabinet Secretary Roger Luncheon made the disclosure at his weekly press briefing yesterday, where he noted that the provision for the increase was made in the 2013 budget.
The announcement, however, does not signal the commencement of preparations for payout, Luncheon cautioned. He said that an official announcement
will be made subsequently, after which Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford will be given the go-ahead for the payments.
Luncheon lauded the impending 5% increase, saying that it will come just in time to supplement the Christmas shopping and that he too was looking forwards to receiving the retroactive increase.
But Luncheon might be the only public servant happy about the 5% increase if what Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde has been saying is anything to go by. “The remuneration being offered to public servants is not only unrealistic, but blatantly disrespectful and insulting, considering their hard work. Why? Why this treatment? Why the apparent malice? Why this apparent grudge? Why create a basis for disgruntlement and possibly disruptive behaviour? Why?” Yarde asked during the union’s congress in September
The GPSU has proposed a 25% increase for public servants for this year. Additionally, the union has called for a reduction of the income tax rate from 30% to 20%, an increase of the income tax threshold from $50,000 to $100,000; a non-taxable allowance of $40,000 per month for dependents and a non-taxable allowance of $75,000 for students who are dependents and are pursuing tertiary-level education.
The union has repeatedly criticised the government over the arbitrary payout of increases.
