Public Servants pay hike still to be finalised

Nov 24, 2009 News

Despite President Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent assurance to public servants that their salaries will be increased, the details are yet to be finalised.

According to a source close to the Finance Ministry, the matter has been discussed on several occasions but nothing concrete has been finalised.

President Bharrat Jagdeo made the announcement of a pay hike during a recent press briefing. However, he was not prepared at that time to say just how much it would be.

The opposition parties have forever been calling for an increase in wages for public servants.

During one of it’s recent press statements it had reiterated that in July of this year, the PNCR called for a significant increase in the wages and salaries of Public Servants to enable them to cope with the rising cost of living and not long after President Jagdeo announced that Public Sector employees would receive a pay increase this year.

The party at that time had said that it is clear to the PNCR that President Jagdeo intends to enforce another unilateral pay increase in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

“The PNCR believes that such a course of action will inflame the relationship between the Public Servants and the Government and the Union that represents them. The President of the Public Service Union had written the Minister of Finance in March of 2009, and the Public Service Ministry requesting an increase in wages and salaries for public servants. There has been no response to these letters.”

The party had also stated that it believes that the public servants must be paid an increase in wages and salaries now and not over the Christmas season when it would be politically expedient for the Jagdeo Administration to do so.

“In delaying the increase of wages and salaries for public servants this administration is once again demonstrating that it’s working class credentials are in tatters and that it is insensitive to the plight of the workers of this country.

“In fact, the Jagdeo Administration seems to be populated by super rich fat cats who have lost touch with the Guyanese people and is baffled by the fact that the average public servant cannot purchase adequate amounts of food for their families, afford transportation and schooling for their children or have a sufficient amount of disposable income to enable them to engage in leisure activities which can cushion them against the ever present stressful situations in our society.”