Frustration stemming from months of delayed salary payments led City Council workers to protest for the removal of Town Clerk Royston King yesterday.
Dozens of workers, bearing placards, congregated outside the Ministry of Communities in hopes of engaging Minister Ronald Bulkan, who was not in office at the time the protest was held.
After King failed to deliver on a promise to ensure payments yesterday, Carvil Duncan, President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), revealed that workers would be pulled from the daycares and markets today. This move is to be supported by picketed action at the Ministry of the Presidency from as early as 10.30 am.
King yesterday stated that the delay in the payment of salaries for September was due to several factors, including the intensification of vital municipal services to all local communities.
“At this particular time, at the junction of our history when we’re moving to improve conditions in the city, we are trying to strike a good balance between paying our workers and contractors and providing vital municipal services to all of our local communities. In the past, what was happening was that we were paying salaries but not doing work in the communities,” King said yesterday.
Outside of the Commu-nities Ministry yesterday morning, shouts of “Who must go?” were answered with cries of “Royston King” and “Dishonest King.” Workers present were eager to relate how the consistent late payments have affected them.
“For the past five months, we finding it difficult to receive we salary on time. And the regular pay time is on the 25th of every month. Today is the 3rd of this month and we ain’ even know when really we gon’ get pay for August,” Ronald Halley stated.
Halley opined that since King has been instated, he has found it difficult to deliver salaries for workers. “When it was the 50th jubilee, we couldn’t even carry we family. Eman-cipation, you couldn’t even carry ya family out. And you have children to go to school and get up snacks and these things. When you don’t have these things and you leaving home every day to come to work, what you tell the children or your wife?” he questioned.
Halley is by no means alone in the struggle to provide for a family on inconsistent wages. His coworker, who wished not to be named, but who related that he is a father of six, said that his children have not been able to attend school all of last week owing to the situation.
“For the past week and change they ain’ attend school ’cause we were promised salary… I living off a neighbour because I goh go and borrow, beg…and my children going high school– five going to school and none of them ain go school for last week,” he explained.
The man, who stated that he is a machine operator and has been employed at the Mayor and City Council for 17 years, noted that he is now placed in the position where he cannot afford to pay his bills and his savings have been depleted.
“I’m having bills in my pocket…a lot of bills,” the man said in frustration, while pulling a roll of papers from his back pocket. “When my light cut off, who giving the extra money? Then the bank, when you don’t pay on time, you gotta pay a late fee. That $4,000 going to the bank, who finding it back? Outta one salary, we gotta delay, borrow, give back, outta one salary,” he lamented.
Worker Ricardo Grant called the situation “heart rending” and another, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed disdain at the treatment toward workers by the Town Clerk.
Striking a balance
Asked to respond to the workers’ complaints about the delays in payments, King told Stabroek News that this was the consequence of the City Council attempting to balance its budget as far as serving communities and paying workers are concerned and he assured that the situation is likely to be corrected by tomorrow.
He made reference to road work being done at Alexander Street and South Road, “heavy community work” in La Penitence and continued repair of the Kitty market and municipal buildings.
He also blamed City Hall’s inability to pay workers on time on the fact that there has not been an evaluation of properties for over two decades to generate updated rates and also because of a balance of about $22 billion owed to the city by members of the private sector and ordinary citizens.
King said measures have been taken to address this situation, including court action against these individuals and the introduction of “new revenue earning measures” that will go towards serving communities as well as paying workers and private contractors.
“So this is where we are at the moment, and we can only ask those persons who have outstanding amounts, including members of the private sector, as well as ordinary citizens, to come in and honour their civic obligation, so that we can continue the works we’re doing in various parts of the city,” he added.
Duncan yesterday said that the Guyana Labour Union, which represents a greater part of the Council workers, has reached a stage of frustration. “We have reached our zenith and we cannot tolerate anything more,” Duncan asserted, before adding, “…we have always been a union of peace, but persons have been taking our peaceful attitude and behaviour and exploiting it.”
The union leader attributed the delay in payments of workers’ wages and salaries to poor management on the part of King, a trait which he said the Council does not need.
Duncan explained that at a meeting held two Fridays ago, King had promised that payment would be delivered that following Tuesday and then later extended to Thursday.
“No payment was made on Thursday. When the workers turned up at the Council on Friday, he tell them don’t let their heart be troubled, they will be paid on Monday, which is today. We say, ‘alright good, we gon wait until Monday.’ Then he came home at me yesterday, which is Sunday, and said to me, he can’t pay until Tuesday, at 4 o’clock and then today we are learning that he can’t pay until Wednesday. All that time, people are existing by a shoe string,” he added.
Irma Glenn, President of the Guyana Labour Union, called for the President and Minister of Communities to take note of all that is occurring within the City Council.
“I want them to take a note because if no peace, it’s war,” she said. “Something gotta happen. This is too often. You had [former Town Clerk Carol] Sooba here, this never happened. That woman, used to pay us, used to mek we get we money but this here escalate, this gone overboard. This outta course. She did her best when she was there. Royston King don’t even want to interact with people… You’re telling me you can’t meet me? You’re creating a monster.”
