Dear Editor,
I wish to express my disappointment at the failure by the government to recognise the workers of the hinterland community-based school feeding programme as permanent members of staff. The school feeding programme, funded by the World Bank and the Government of Guyana, began in 2007 with the objective of improving the learning outcomes of students in regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. It was fully taken over by the government about five years ago.
The programme saw persons being hired as head cooks, cooks and janitors. These workers are paid a mere stipend rather than a salary. This means that they do not pay NIS and are not entitled to other benefits provided by the government to public servants. This is unfair to these workers as the job requires them to work Monday to Friday, for the same hours as public servants. The cooks usually turn up at 6:30am and do not leave until after 2pm.
As of 2019, the head cook and other workers are being paid an average sum of $1,400 and $1,200 per day respectively, for the five working days. This amounts to an average stipend of up to $32,200 monthly for the head cook, who do a lot of additional work including accounting, inventory and cooking. Further, if any of the workers for any reason have to miss a day of work, they are not paid for that day. Many of these workers are women.
The average amount of money that is taken home by these workers is far below the minimum wage which was recently increased by the government to $70,000. These workers have also not received any increase in their stipends for years.
This longstanding situation is really unfair and disrespectful to these workers as they work almost the same hours as public servants. Editor, these workers have families and other responsibilities to take care of and the amount being paid to them is insufficient. In 2015, both major political parties campaigned on the creation of jobs for the people yet failed to give these workers permanent jobs.
While I must commend the government for making cleaners and other workers permanent staff members, I believe it is truly unjust to leave these workers at one stage with some having served for over 10 years. I believe that it is time that these workers are made permanent members of staff and be granted a salary increase so that they too could enjoy the good life as promised by the government.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
