Former public service minister Jennifer Westford on Wednesday took aim at government over its treatment of contract workers and for failing to announce salary increases for public servants.
During last August’s budget debate, Westford, who was under investigation for allegedly trying to steal government vehicles and misuse of funds while in office, had opted out of participating.
On Wednesday the PPP/C MP, who has since been charged criminally, took to her feet and argued that over the last 10 years there had been renewed hope among public servants as a result of the “progressive social policies of the PPP/C administration.”
However, she said public servants are now suffering from anxiety syndrome. “They are suffering because they are unsure whether they will join their scores of colleagues who were unceremoniously dismissed from their jobs,” she said, while adding that their fear is justified since it is common knowledge that public officers at all levels were sent packing simply because of their known or perceived association with the PPP/C government.
“This practice is having adverse effects on our public institutions because most of the replacement employees are either unqualified… and/or inexperienced,” she charged, while making calls on the current Minister of Labour to pay urgent attention to “this ill that is plaguing the public sector.”
Additionally, Westford highlighted anxiety expressed by those public servants who are contracted workers, whom she claimed are also unsure of their fate. This is so, she said, since all contract workers currently employed by government agencies who were employed under the PPP/C government are being issued with application forms to enter the pensionable establishment. She noted that apart from being told that their contracts will not be renewed and they will be placed on the pensionable establishment, no other vital info is being divulged to them.
According to Westford, the unilateral decision to discontinue contract employment is “undemocratic and takes away from the fundamental rights of the workers to choose.”
Noting that the Public Service rules make provision for contract employees, she said the employment of such workers by successive PPP administrations was not a plan concocted with sinister motives but rather it was a long-established policy which ensured that workers’ democratic right to choice was not denied.
“For years, this category of workers have been derogatorily called PPP hacks by members of the administration. I wonder what the new cadre of contracted workers employed by this government should be called?” Westford questioned.
According to the former minister, the issue of retirement and benefits is another factor that is causing anxiety among contract workers. She explained that a large percentage of contract workers are over the age of 45 while the age of retirement as stated by the Pension Act is 55 years.
With further reference to the Act, Westford explained that for a person to be eligible for pension, they would have had to complete 10 years of unbroken pensionable service.
“So you see, these persons will not be eligible for a pension when they reach the age of retirement under the current labour laws should they be placed on the pensionable establishment. This would not be in keeping with the good life to which the Honourable Minister of Finance referred,” she offered.
Additionally, Westford accused Minister of Labour Keith Scott of omitting to mention any measures to amend the age of retirement during the outlining of the list of measures to be undertaken by the ministry.
“I would like to recommend that the Pensions Act be reviewed; in particular, the section that speaks to the age of retirement and associated benefits,” she said.
More disappointing to Westford was the lack of salary increases for public servants. She noted that in any country citizens pay keen attention to budgets on the aspects of salary increases and taxation.
Therefore, she said, it was shocking to the workers when the Minister of Finance announced that public servants would have to wait on the conclusion of discussions with the relevant unions before salary increases can be decided.
Jordan had held off making an announcement of salary increases for public servants for 2016, while explaining that it has to await the conclusion of discussions with the relevant labour unions.
“The government understands the disappointment this will create among public servants, but wishes to assure them of our commitment to their welfare and advancement. We ask that they give the collective bargaining process an opportunity to work,” he said.
Jordan’s announcement of an increase last year, in the absence of any negotiations with the unions, was criticised.
“The Honourable Minister said he understood their disappointment at hearing this announcement, but I dare say that this announcement surpassed disappointment. It amounted to a state of profound shock and disbelief since it was in breach of the 20% across-the-board increase of which was muttered and used as a mantra during the campaign,” Westford said.
And although she expressed appreciation that collective bargaining is being given a chance to work, she questioned whether discussions between the Ministry of Labour and the respective unions could not have been sped up, particularly since the minister described relations between the two as being amicable. “A dangling good life carrot is being removed,” she concluded.
Last July, Westford and the ministry’s former chief personnel officer Margaret Cummings were granted a combined $2 million in bail after being slapped with several charges of attempted larceny and forgery.
Westford was read four charges of attempting to commit larceny, while Cummings’ charges were four counts of forgery.
In that matter, she was alleged to have attempted to transfer several government-owned vehicles to herself and others. Meanwhile, Cummings was charged with forging several receipts to show that the vehicles were legitimately purchased by Westford and the other parties involved.
They were back in court last week facing 24 charges alleging they stole more than $639 million from the Government of Guyana. They were both granted $200,000 bail on each charge read, amounting to a total of $4.8 million to be paid to the court.
