Although silent on if or when government will meet and negotiate with the GPSU, President Irfaan Ali yesterday said public servants would be receiving retroactive increases in wages and salaries before the end of the year.
At a virtual news conference to mark the end of his first year in office, Ali also urged public servants to be wary of calls for strike action and trust his government to offer them a “holistic” package.
“My vision and the vision of the government is not only about salaries. Let me assure you, first of all and before I continue, that the public servants will receive salary increases before the end of the year and it will be retroactive,” Ali said when asked for an update on collective bargaining with the Guyana Public Service Union, which has been seeking to meet with the government for negotiations.
“…But I am not only looking at salary increases. We are looking at the mechanism that would allow every public servant to own their home. They also benefitted from the help with the COVID-19 cash grant. We want to empower public servants so that their children, too, can benefit from the scholarship programme… so let us not limit the discourse to tax waivers and tax breaks and referrals. It is a holistic approach to the improvement of lives and livelihoods. It is not a narrow window of only salaries. It is that holistic approach that is necessary,” he added.
He promised to engage with public servants on government’s plans and asked that they join in its efforts and not be sidetracked without knowing all the facts. “I will engage with you so that you understand where our country is heading. You’ll understand the opportunities of the future. And, of course, you will be integrated in this new Guyana, filled with opportunities and improvement [for] your family and personal welfare,” he assured.
Ali appealed to public servants and teachers to trust his government and see their lives transformed for the better by the end of his first term in office.
“In terms of the GPSU threatening strike action because of salary increases, I have already made it clear. There will be salary increases before the end of the year that will be retroactive. But we have to be careful. And my appeal to public servants and teachers is a very simple appeal – trust the government. By the end of these five years, you will all be better,” the president emphasised.
One year after the PPP/C took office, talks between government and the GPSU have not been had and the Ministry of Public Service has rejected a request to meet within a stipulated timeframe on wage negotiations.
The cold shoulder from the ministry saw the union writing Chair of the Trade Union Recognition Board Dr Nanda Gopaul to complain and to call for government to be appropriately sanctioned.
The union had explained that in keeping with Clause 6 of the legally binding Agreement for the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes between it and the Government of Guyana, a number of letters were written during the period September 1, 2020 and July 7, 2021, addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Public Service, requesting the commencement of negotiations for wages, salaries and allowances for the years 2020 and 2021.
“To date there is no indication that a date would be set as stipulated in the Agreement for such a crucial and important meeting. This is viewed by the GPSU as a breach of the aforementioned agreement, Section 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act 1997 and ratified ILO Conventions as well as a lack of professional ethics,” the letter to Gopaul read.
The union argued that the ministry’s stance amounts to a pellucid and perpetual refusal to negotiate with the representative of the workers in the public service and signals blatant disrespect for all public servants.
“Of significance is the fact, that the last increase in wages and salaries was since 2019, while allowances were revised more than two decades ago. Meanwhile, the cost of living has increased astronomically, drastically diminishing the spending power of workers. There is also the issue where healthcare workers were denied risk allowances, even though providing quality services during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic,” the GPSU further lamented.
To date, Gopaul has not responded and it is unclear what the next course of action for the union is.
