President Irfaan Ali on Friday said discussions are ongoing on promised wages and salary increases for public servants and an announcement would be made very soon.
In his address to the nation, Ali said that under consideration are increases for public servants as well as support for frontline workers and members of the Joint Services. “These are all ongoing discussions within the government and soon you will see the results of those discussions…,” he said.
His address to the nation focused on the impact of global shortages, including increased prices being paid by consumers for some commodities.
It is unclear whether the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is part of the discussions on the increases.
As of last month, the GPSU was still to be engaged on the issue despite numerous requests to government to begin 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.
Vice President of the GPSU, Dawn Gardner, previously told Stabroek News that she hopes that the increases being promised by the president will be negotiated with the union.
Gardner said she would personally condemn the increases if they are 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.
