Three weeks after the Government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) announced a two-week negotiation on the working conditions and remuneration within the public health sector there is “no update” on the process.
According to the General Secretary (ag) of the GPSU Kempton Alexander he had no update on the negotiations. First Vice President Dawn Gardner when contacted on Monday also said she had “no comment”.
On October 7, a planned strike by nurses and other workers in the public health sector was put ‘on hold’ after the GPSU agreed to negotiate the demands of the workers with the Government.
Alexander had confirmed that the union had a meeting with the government, where the two discussed an agreement to have the demands made by the health workers be negotiated over a two-week period.
“The government and the union would have come to an agreement. The government has come to an agreement to meet our demands but our strike action has not been abandoned or withdrawn. But it is just put on hold, if they don’t meet our demands in the two weeks we will take an industrial move,” Alexander told this newspaper in an invited comment. Alexander had noted that while he was not present during the discussion he was briefed by Gardner on the outcome.
Nurses have since 2016 been demanding improved working conditions and better remuneration the union however continues to engage in protracted and sporadic negotiations with the government.
In 2019 a resolution by the General Council of GPSU to strike if the government failed to accede to the wishes of workers was nullified after then Minister of Health Volda Lawrence set up a committee to investigate the complaints. This committee fell apart after two meetings with government representatives no longer available for discussions.
With the advent of COVID-19 the health workers once again raised their voices against their working conditions and remuneration adding a request that all workers in the sector be paid a risk allowance and be provided adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They persisted in their protest despite threats of sanction by Attorney General Anil Nandlall backing down only when assured by their Union that the government would meet their demands.
