The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) yesterday rejected the government’s recently announced wage hikes for public servants, while accusing President Donald Ramotar of going back on a promise to negotiate with the union after more than a decade of imposing increases.
Since the announcement on Saturday of increases ranging from 5% to 8%, GPSU President Patrick Yarde has written Ramotar saying that the union would accept an 8% across-the-board payout in the interim, while also demanding that government commence negotiations on 2014 wages and salaries within 48 hours.
“Mr President the Guyana Public Service Union sees the arbitrary imposition as a breach of trust entitling us to express the view that we no longer have confidence in your administration to give Public Servants a fair deal,” he wrote. “Unless you are prepared to honour your commitments and take action to reverse this travesty you will leave us no choice but to stand in defence of our rights guaranteed under the constitution of Guyana as well as international treaties to which the Government of Guyana is obligated,” he added.
For over a decade, government has repeatedly imposed annual increases on public servants while sidelining the GPSU.
At a news conference yesterday, Yarde described the announced increases as an insult. He also referred to Ramotar’s commitment, given at news conferences in January and in March, to negotiations with the union. “What do you want me to do? Announce for the public servants and then you would come here today to me and say that I am a dictator,” Ramotar was quoted as saying at a news conference in March, when he was asked why public servant increases were not budgeted.
In his letter to Ramotar, Yarde likened the imposition to a “dictator’s treatment of the work force” and registered his dissatisfaction at the approach taken by government in light of the head of state’s earlier public statements.
“On several occasions ending with our conversation on September 1, 2014, you [gave] me your personal assurances that any increase in wages and salaries would be negotiated and that your government respected collective agreements,” he added.
Yarde also noted that requests were made by the union to the Public Service Ministry, which in response on at least two occasions said it was awaiting advice from the Finance Ministry on how to proceed.
Yarde lamented that for the previous 13 years the government has arbitrarily imposed wages and salaries on public sector workers and what he described as an “executive lawless conduct was displayed” notwithstanding the fact that it was in conflict with the constitution and laws of Guyana and legally binding collective agreements between the government and the union, which he says is in force.
On Saturday, the Ramotar administration announced that over 20,000 public servants and members of the disciplined forces have been approved increases for 2014 ranging from 5% to 8% of their wages and salaries as of December 31, 2013 and retroactive to January 1, 2014.
It said workers earning above $50,000 monthly as at December 31, 2013, are being granted an across-the-board increase of 5%, while those earning less than $50,000 monthly as at December 31, 2013 would be receiving an 8% increase, retroactive to January 1, 2014. Also, teachers earning less than $50,000 monthly as at December, 31, 2013 are being granted an additional 3% across-the-board increase, in addition to the 5% increase already paid to them in keeping with the multi-year agreement concluded with their union. Their total increase would be 8%, retroactive to January 1, 2014.
The announcement came just two days after the GPSU lambasted the administration for ignoring its obligation to engage in negotiations of wages and salaries for public servants.
