Contract drivers still awaiting pay from GECOM

Jun 28, 2010 News

Contract drivers who worked for the Guyana Elections Commission—GECOM– are still appealing to the relevant authorities to delve into their matter since they alleged that they worked for months and have not received any payment to date.
“Are we slaves? They are working us for free,” said Shawn Schultz, a driver that is still to receive payment from GECOM. He said that after working one month and eight days, he has not received any payments from GECOM.

Shawn Shultz, one of the peeved drivers

According to Ray Osborne, some drivers have received all their money and others have received nothing. “When we go to the Finance Ministry, the Ministry say we have to go to Boodoo; when we go there ,Boodoo is on leave.”
Osborne explained that a representative from GECOM told him that the Commission has no money, that there is a list of persons who were not paid. “Watch is how long people had to use their own gas and own money to work for them and this is how we are treated. Elections coming up and they will need drivers!”
Another driver said that he was told that he would be paid $1500 per hour. He decided to work long hours from “Sunday to Sunday” at GECOM’s Church Street Branch, but when it was time to issue payments there was always the problem that money was not released.
He said that on many occasions when drivers would be seeking a meeting with someone in authority to highlight their respective concerns, they are always told that there is a meeting in progress and no one can be interviewed.
“This is stressing me out because I pawn some stuff to buy gas to move around the staff. People asking me now if I coming to take out me thing in pawn!” Osborne said. “How can we work without being paid?”
“We have mortgages to pay and some of us have our car to pay for.” The frustrated driver said that he tried contacting the assistant to the Finance Officer at GECOM and was told that the money was released and they were supposed to be paid.
“Our (phone) numbers, addresses and names were taken but they never call we to tell we anything about payment,” said Mark Matheson.
He added that he was told by an official at GECOM that the Government is to be blamed and not GECOM since they are awaiting funds.
According to GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Vishnu Persaud, as far as he is aware, GECOM acknowledges persons who were contracted as driver, and funds required to pay these persons were requested from the Ministry of Finance. To date GECOM is still awaiting the release of such funds.