City Workers promised pay today

Jun 21, 2011 News

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A sit-in protest over pay by some Georgetown City Council workers yesterday resulted in Mayor Hamilton Green summoning them to his office where he promised that their May salaries would be paid by today.
Just less than 100 workers from various departments had assembled in the parking lot of the Council, yesterday morning, loudly proclaiming that they will not work until payment was received and that an assurance be given that salaries for June will be paid on time.

Workers said that their last payment – which was also late – was on May 6. Their protest yesterday led to Mayor Green having a discussion with their representative, Guyana Labour Union Field Officer Clarence Whitehead, who subsequently informed them that Mr Green would like to speak with them. The meeting was at times confrontational. It saw heated exchanges between the Mayor and a worker, and between Town Clerk, Yonette Pluck, and most of the workers.
The aggrieved workers from the drainage, workshop, cemetery, carpentry, weeding, and engineering departments are all usually paid through their bank of choice, Republic Bank, but the council had not forwarded to the financial institution the total amount necessary for salaries to be paid.
More than half of the workers have accounts with Republic Bank, therefore the money to be deposited represented the largest portion of the city council wages payout. Employees who received their payment through other commercial banks got their May pay.
This forced an ultimatum by the union, which represents most of the City Council workers, threatening a ‘total shutdown’ yesterday if salaries were not paid by last Friday.
“The union has reached the zenith of its tolerance with this Council, and would like to make it known to the public that if there is a continuity of this type of behaviour then the union would be left with no alternative but to intensify its position,” GLU stated in a media release.
But workers said they were misled on the issue of payment last week. “Friday gone they say money will go in the bank by 1pm, we go and no money was there,” a tractor operator from the drainage department told Kaieteur News.
Some of the protesting workers questioned the Council’s use of available funds, charging that the money is being spent on contracted workers who do jobs that current staff members could do, yet those persons receive their full pay weekly. “They find the money to pay them, I don’t know how,” the worker said.
He explained that these ‘project’ workers are kept on the job seven days a week. “They got them like slaves. They can’t get a day off, they don’t get any equipment, nothing,” he said contending that the Council is opting for the contract employees because they can be exploited.
Another worker from the engineering department argued that in addition to the late payment, they are being forced to work without the required safety equipment and other protective gear. “For the past three years we ain’t get any long boots,” he cited as an example.
The most immediate concern for the workers, however was their inability to meet their current household expenses ranging from rent to hire purchase accounts.
When they trooped into Mayor Green’s office, they were greeted with an acknowledgement of their plight, which he described as “a very stressful and unsatisfactory state of affairs”.
He said that in talks with the relevant government Minister [Kellawan Lall] it was agreed that the overdue money will be obtained from a source which he did not disclose, and salaries payment will be made within 24 hours.
But that promised payment covers only May with no guarantees for the June remuneration.
“For the month of June we don’t know if salaries can be paid before the 1st of July” the Town Clerk said. This potentially puts the Council on another collision course with the union.
“We must emphasise that payment date for the month of June 2011 is fast approaching, and this must also be taken into consideration,” GLU stated in its release.
Field Representative, Whitehead, told this newspaper that the union will be discussing the June payments this week.
“We have a meeting here [Council office] Thursday 9am, and if we do not come to an agreement, then we will take it from there. If we have to take to the streets, then so be it,” he said following the meeting with Mayor Green.
Earlier, the Mayor blamed the Council’s financial woes on an insufficient tax base, and described the current crisis as an accumulation of circumstances that have been there years ago. “This is nothing new, we said so time and time again.”
Mr Green said that the demands on City Council have become greater as a modern Georgetown continues to grow. He spoke of three analytical reports along with a comprehensive study with recommendations that were accepted by Cabinet but no action was taken, and no explanation given by government. Meanwhile the Council remains powerless to take action.
He cited the pending sale of St Barnabas Church as an example of the need for enabling legislation empowering the Council to protect heritage sites while taking expanded revenue earning measures to boost its coffers.
At this point a worker in the crowded room said, “We ain’t come here to hear that, we ain’t want to hear no donkey history.”
Mr Green retorted, “If you don’t want to hear, you can leave. Nobody interrupts my meeting. You hear what I said?”
The worker left the room.
Another worker complained that there is no advance warning of late payments.
“If they can’t tell you, they eye pass you,” the Mayor said referring to the Council administration.
“Is because they don’t listen,” Town Clerk Pluck snapped in reference to workers continuing to talk as she explained payment problems.
A heated discussion between the Town Clerk and some workers ensued. Things cooled down when Mayor Green advised Ms Pluck not to be involved in such exchanges.

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