GLU to meet with M&CC to address pay increase for workers

Jan 10, 2009 News

– as GLGOU calls for improved management strategies

A meeting to determine the way forward with regards to an increase in wages and salaries for the municipal workers represented by the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) is slated to be convened on Tuesday.
And according to General Secretary of the Union, Carvil Duncan, it is his understanding that the municipality has substantial funds to facilitate workers an acceptable payment package.
A compulsory arbitration process, which was concluded at the latter part of last year, recommended that the GLU-represented workers be afforded a 14 per cent increase as part of the union’s advocacy for increases for the years 2007 and 2008.
The union had demanded that a 10 per cent increase be paid for each year.
However, with the completion of the arbitration, Duncan had expressed satisfaction with the percentage increase recommended.
The recommendation via the compulsory arbitration process was kicked into being after the union and the municipality had reached a deadlock in the wages and salaries negotiation early last year. Intervening into the matter, Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir had identified a panel of arbitrators to facilitate the compulsory arbitration process.
However, it was the view of a senior city official, in a recent invited comment, that it has still not been ascertained whether the council would be able to pay the workers. But the GLU General Secretary said that it is his belief that the council can afford to pay the workers if it engages effective management and administration of its finances.
Duncan said that he is more than confident that the municipality has the requisite finances to increase the workers’ pay, hence a meeting has been set for Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU), Andrew Garnett, yesterday expressed satisfaction that the GLGOU-represented workers have received their increases for last year.
According to Garnett, although an agreement was reached between the union and the municipality to afford the GLGOU workers a 10 per cent increase for last year, the workers were not paid in full until recently. The GLGOU had relinquished its call for an increase for 2007, since it was of the belief that the municipality could not afford to pay the workers an increase for 2007 and 2008.
Garnett pointed out, though, that there is urgent need for the municipality to rethink its management strategy in order to prevent a repetition of what transpired last year with regards to its financial capabilities.
At a meeting with senior municipal officials, Garnett said, he had recommended that a retreat be held whereby management could be able to relate with various levels of employees and views be shared, in order to better the entity’s operation.

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