The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) yesterday repeated its call for the Government to commence outstanding negotiations of wages, salaries, and allowances for public service workers and committed to continue fighting to ensure that all frontline health workers are paid risk allowances.
During a press conference yesterday, Vice-President of the GPSU Dawn Gardener said that the union had submitted proposals to the government in September regarding wages, salaries and allowances for public servants. One meeting was held on November 14, 2020, between the union and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag, but no successful negotiations emerged as the minister reportedly stated that she had no mandate to discuss the matter of wages, salaries, and allowances with the GPSU.
According to Gardener, following the meeting there was no further correspondence between the union and the Government until February 3, 2021, when it submitted extensive proposals to the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh to be considered for inclusion in the 2021 budget. However, the union was not invited by the Minister of Finance to ventilate the proposals. “[This] was viewed as a departure of both pre- and post-elections commitment by this administration for inclusiveness,” Gardener said.
She said that public servants have gone through the entire 2020 faced with challenges emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic which increased the cost of living in Guyana but yet there was no pay hike.
Gardener disclosed that one of the budget proposals by the GPSU was a request for the reduction of the income tax rate paid by employed individuals (PAYE). “It is difficult to comprehend why there was no reduction in taxes and why is it that company taxes are at flat rate of 25%, lower than PAYE lowest level which is 28% and increases to 40% after the next $120,000 approximately on all additional earnings.” The union had also proposed raising the income tax threshold to $120,000 per month. Further, it intends to petition the government to pay risk allowances to frontline health workers with effect from March 2020.
As it relates to the minimum wage for public servants, Gardener noted that the GPSU is demanding that it must be a “living wage,” adding that this is just one of many issues that affect public servants that were submitted as part of its proposals to the Minister of Finance. Also included were the issues of de-bunching and the payment of increments. She maintained that these are issues that have caused serious dissatisfaction and so require serious attention. She posited that the staff should be re-trained to cope with the new norm under which they are now required to operate in their work environment. And also that offices should be reorganised to cater for social distancing and that staff be provided with personal protective equipment.
Meanwhile, it was also proposed that old-age pension be reviewed as the current amount is “very meagre” and cannot sustain its recipients. “The Union is demanding that this vulnerable group of citizens be better taken care of and that legislation be passed to protect their standard of living and comfort similar to what was done for the president of the country,” Gardener declared.
With many of its letters unacknowledged by the relevant authorities, Gardener said that the union has decided to seek the intervention of President Irfaan Ali and has since written a letter regarding the issues, thanking him in anticipation of his involvement and support. Gardener also revealed that they have also recently written to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service regarding negotiations and pointing out that the GPSU has been extremely patient and now that the budget has been passed, it is of the view that the Government is in a favourable position to commence dealing with these matters.
