GPSU issues ultimatum to Govt. for wage negotiations

Dec 24, 2010 News

GPSU’s President Patrick Yarde (third from left) along with his deputies during the press conference yesterday slamming the “arbitrary” 5% increase announced recently by government.

…asks if its members are Public Servants or Public Slaves

By Leonard Gildarie

The country’s main bargaining union for public servants has not ruled out strike action, yesterday giving government a one-month ultimatum to restart wage negotiations.
At a press conference, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) also registered its disagreement with what it described as an “arbitrary” across-the-board increase 5% handed down earlier this month.
The union, stressing its seriousness, also questioned whether the existing labour agreement has been annulled and called for a stated government position regarding collective bargaining and trade union rights. For 10 years now, the union stressed, the government has not given an increase in keeping with established negotiation practices but rather announced it arbitrarily.
The union has since sent off a letter that it stands ready to take “any and all actions” to defend and secure the rights of its members.
During the press briefing at the entity’s headquarters on Regent Street, the union’s President, Patrick Yarde, noted that there were media speculations about its (GPSU’s) perceived silence over the 5% across-the-board increase in public servants’ wages/salaries.
The union also noted an editorial carried in the Kaieteur News on December 7 “which gives the impression that the union appears impotent in the face of these unilateral awards. That editorial clearly lacks acquaintance with the inseparable relationship between members and the elected leaders of their union.”
Illegal
According to Yarde, the issue of “imposition” of salary increases is not an isolated one, as this “provocation” has been taking place for over ten years.
“This act flouts the Constitution of Guyana, the collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the union, which are legally binding and international labour conventions.
This lawless conduct of the Government is not confined only to its dealings with the GPSU.”
Yarde, flanked by his deputies and other GPSU’s officials, stressed that blatant disregard and scant courtesy have been shown to members of the business community, constitutional institutions, other unions and organizations, resident diplomatic missions, international agencies, citizens and even court orders.
“So, clearly, what is taking place is in essence an abuse of authority. This is fundamentally a governance problem, which translates into a national problem, which, in turn, requires a national response.”
He made clear reference to the 57-day strike action taken by the union in 1999.
“While public servants bore the brunt of that struggle, we entrusted the responsibility of mediating an end to the strike to civil society, namely the Guyana Council of Churches, the Guyana Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission and the Trades Union Congress.”
That group was able to hammer out an agreement that included the payment of an interim 25% across-the-board increase.
“The subsequent Armstrong Arbitration Tribunal awarded public servants 31.09% and 26.6% for years 1999 and 2000 respectively. The Union considered both agreements by the Civil Society and the Armstrong Arbitration Tribunal to be excellent, forward-looking and with the aims of peace and stability in the country.”
Disgusted
The union boss noted that with the exception of the interim payments and awarded increases in salaries, all other aspects of the agreements have not been honoured by the Government.
“We believe that a government should lead by example and that it should act in good faith. We believe that they should conduct themselves in keeping with the spirit and intent of the laws of Guyana. This has not been the case, and it has to be corrected.”
Yarde called for the backings of citizens to lead a charge for improved governance and accountability by the Government.
“In this regard, the GPSU is calling on all the people of Guyana to come together and demand their rights; demand that institutions such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal be established in keeping with the spirit of the rule of law; demand respect for trade union rights, which in our view are human rights.”
The union officials said that they are “disgusted” with the manner with which collective bargaining and trade union rights are treated within the public sector.
Slaves?
“We are offended with the manner in which the career, conditions of service and welfare of public servants are treated. There seems to be a new classification for those who labour in the public service, from PS for ‘Public Servants’ to PS for ‘Public Slaves.’”
Yarde vowed to bring an end to this “abuse” and said that the union is prepared to stride in solidarity with all law-abiding citizens for the achievement of good governance.
According to the letter sent by the union to Permanent Secretary of the Office of the President, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, GPSU contended that it received notice for a December 7th meeting with government to discuss wage and salaries increased for public servant.
Stating its expectations for a “positive outcome” which would have seen a resolution of outstanding issues related to salaries and allowances for public servants, the union was however disappointed.
“The announcement by the government of a 5% across-the-board wage award for 2010 prior to our meeting dashed our hopes.”
According to GPSU, it has sent proposals to government in March 2004 and June 2007 for increases for the years 2006-2009.
“No response was forthcoming from the government; instead for each of those years, the government imposed wage awards without the agreement of the union.”
GPSU, also in the letter to the Permanent Secretary, criticized the “excuse of government” not being in a position to afford any increases and said it contradicted the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s report that Guyana registered five years of consecutive robust growth and the contention that Guyana is set to collect a record-breaking amount of revenues this year.
Illegal
“The union’s position is clear; the continued unilateral imposition by the government of annual, meager, across-the-board wage increases is an affront to ILO Conventions…,” the union said in the letter to Gopaul.
In addition to asking for government’s position on collective bargaining and trade union rights, GPSU wanted clarity on whether the administration was “prepared to abide by the agreement”.
“The union requires a definitive position with respect to existing agreements between the two parties, and is prepared to honour its letter and spirit going forward.”
According to the union, public servants cannot be expected to continue to perform in an atmosphere of rancor and disrespect in “a situation in which they are expected to make increasing sacrifices in spite of a growing economy and a massive increase in revenue collection.”
The union called on government to stop the “imposition of unilateral annual wages and salaries awards” and to “respect the collective bargaining process by negotiations on our proposals for increases in wages and salaries and allowances for 2010, 2011 and 2012.”