Although the government is still to engage the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) for outstanding negotiations of wages, salaries, and other issues, President Irfaan Ali yesterday reiterated that public servants will receive pay increases before the end of this year.
“As I said earlier this year, that we are committed to increases for the public servants and that commitment will be fulfilled before the end of the year,” Ali yesterday told a press conference.
However, when asked why government was unwilling to negotiate with the union, Ali told reporters to engage the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Public Service.
Since the PPP/C government took office in 2020, there have been no talks between government and the GPSU. The Ministry of Public Service has rejected a request to meet within a stipulated timeframe on wage negotiations.
The union had previously explained that in keeping with Clause Six 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.
Up to now, no date has been set as stipulated in the agreement for a meeting.
Contacted yesterday, Vice President of the GPSU, Dawn Gardner told Stabroek News that she hopes that the increases being promised by the President is one which will be negotiated with the union.
Gardner said she will personally condemn the increase if it is granted without a meeting being held with the union for negotiation.
“… It’s a breach and as the president he should not be breaching the laws… neither the legally binding agreement, which states that you must negotiate with the workers’ representative — which is the Guyana Public Service Union — for the increase in wages and salaries and other working conditions,” she explained.
She said the president’s announcement was blatant disrespect to public servants and hoped that the government would respect the rule of law, the legally binding agreement and have negotiations with the union. “Not the president just promising to have an increase in salary before the end of the year,” Gardner stated.
