New Year message from Patrick Yarde - GPSU President

New Year message from Patrick Yarde – GPSU President

Jan 04, 2009 News

The year 2008 has come to an end, much to the relief of public servants in particular, and the Guyanese citizenry in general. Many are convinced that it was only by a miracle they were able to survive in the volatile and traumatic environment, which is now so much part of the Guyanese reality.

There is no question that, throughout 2008, there was great need for levels of pay to match upward increases in prices and in the cost of living. An escalating rate of inflation and the failure of the Government to pay workers remuneration reflective of increases in the real level of inflation could be further compounded by Government’s claims that Guyana would not be significantly impacted by the financial and other challenges now affecting the United States of America, Europe and other parts of the world.

These countries have at least acknowledged existence of the problem, and taken steps to address, mitigate, if not solve, the crisis which, according to respected authorities, is likely to be of major concern throughout 2009 and beyond.

Though few are personally invested in and impacted by the housing and financial crises in these countries, this cannot be seen as a foreign issue only, since many more Guyanese depend significantly on remittances and other forms of support from abroad.

During the year 2008, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has faced the continuing problem of convincing the Government (the employer of public servants), to properly negotiate with the objective of ensuring that its employees are adequately and fairly remunerated in consonance with increases in the cost of living, as reflected in the Government’s own cost of living index.

Public servants are not so disadvantaged when compared with other employees; but, as the GPSU has time and again demonstrated, public servants actually subsidize governmental operations as a direct result of Government’s failure to accept and introduce measures to ensure that its employees receive allowances (travelling, meal allowance, subsistence, etc.), reflecting the extent to which prices have increased over time.

Increases in allowances of 31.01% for 1999 and 26.60% for 2000 were awarded in 1999 by the Armstrong Tribunal, which also ordered that increment be paid with effect from 1999. This was not done and has had a devastating effect on morale; regardless of performance, no increase is granted.

This development has contributed to the situation of penury and degradation in which many public servants now find themselves. The Government has exhibited gross indifference to efforts by the Union to have this situation corrected within the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement.

The Government’s policy of unilaterally imposing and undermining benefits to workers continues in the face of the Collective Agreement — a legal contract. Effectively, the Collective Labour Agreement has been reduced to an instrument to be ignored and manipulated by Government in its own interest.

In this regard, it consistently resorts to illegal and questionable devices, such as protracting and postponing negotiations, and ultimately, unilaterally determining the rewards to be bestowed on its employees.

The Pubic Service Modernisation Project, which was embraced by the Union, and raised expectations by public servants and citizenry of improvement in the structure and processes of the public service, has been frustrated and undermined by the unwillingness of the Administration to accept and implement, in a timely manner, the recommendations of Consultants and on which the Union is in agreement.

There are blatant attempts by the Government to undermine the National Trade Union Movement and have it supplanted by a more pliable group, as exemplified by the introduction of a Trade Union Recognition Amendment Bill 2008. This would directly undermine the basic rights of ordinary working class people, a development which must be resisted at all times.

Elections for the Executive Council of the Union are scheduled to be held this year. Members must take a serious view of this, since it is pivotal to streamlining and intensifying the thrust of the Union in its efforts to address and correct the many problems which persisted throughout 2008, as well as those bound to emerge during the new year.

It is also projected that new and unprecedented challenges, from which Guyana would not be immune, would have to be faced.

I take this opportunity to thank members and friends of the Union for their unstinted support during the past year. Even at this point in time, it has to be appreciated that dealing with the challenges of 2009 will require unity, involvement, enhanced awareness and consciousness of the members of our Union, to successfully advance our causes and secure the viability of our Union. I am inviting all members, friends and well wishers to be part of this process.