The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has said that Chair of the Trade Union Recognition Board Dr Nanda Gopaul has still to acknowledge a complaint lodged by it against the government over its requests to begin negotiations on wages and salaries.
“No, we have not received a response or acknowledgement from either the board or the [Public Service Ministry],” GPSU Vice President Dawn Gardner told Stabroek News on Friday.
The union had written Gopaul on July 13 recommending that the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board enforces Section 23 (3) of the Trade Union Recognition Act 1997 and takes action to strongly condemn the government’s failure to engage the union in negotiations.
The section referenced indicates that an employer who does not negotiate in good faith with a duly recognised union has committed an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $28,000 and $500 for every day after judgement that they remain in breach.
The union explained that in keeping with Clause 6 of its agreement with the Government of Guyana, a number of letters were written during the period September 1, 2020 and July 7, 2021 requesting the commencement of negotiations for wages, salaries and allowances for the years 2020 and 2021.
The majority of these letters went unacknowledged. In a letter dated July 13, Public Service Ministry Permanent Secretary Soyinka Grogan acknowledged the receipt of a July 7 letter reminding her of the months-long attempt to jumpstart the negotiation and maintaining that her failure to acknowledge or respond to these overtures were illegal.
The letter also called for the immediate start to negotiations. In her response, Grogan did not provide a date for the beginning of negotiations beyond stating that they cannot begin in the week of July 12.
Grogan added that as soon as a date was confirmed, the union will be informed.
This was not enough for the union, which reminded that the agreement between government and the union stipulates that meetings should be organised within 10 days of a request. The ministry has not acknowledged this reminder.
