Workers need a 10% wage increase to cope with inflation

Jul 18, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
May Day 2013 has come and gone, but the political, economic and social crisis in Guyana remains.
The President was quoted in the pro-government section of the press as saying his Government is “sympathetic to the workers’ cause and frequent cries for more wages and salaries” but what has he done about it? Nothing!
The majority opposition can show him how he can find the resources to pay the workers a 10% increase immediately, but he has zero political commitment to the workers, in that he has no interest in improving the lives of the working class. As a matter of fact, members of the ruling party are more committed to helping the contractors, their relatives, business buddies and themselves. That is why they can always find billions for the rich elite who continue to receive the majority of state contracts but very little for the workers. This year the workers are on target for another diet of the government’s meagre 5% increase at Christmas, at a time of double-digit inflation.
If this President had any care for the workers, he would have called the majority opposition together and offered a counter proposal to their request of a 10% increase for the workers. But all we get from the President is more “cloak and dagger” comments with no concrete proposals to demonstrate his commitment and sincerity.
The President noted that he told the opposition parties that he was ready to talk and provide answers about any of the projects that they have difficulties with. Well what about the 10% increase for the workers, an issue the President has refused to discuss with the opposition?
We are proud of the opposition for clearly outlining to the people the cuts that they have made to the budget and the people have understood that they are trying to save the financial health of the nation; unlike the government which is on a journey to squander away all the savings from the debt write-offs that the international community granted the nation.
The President stated that “Budget 2013 had the highest form of consultation”. Does the President understand the meaning of consultation? The Oxford dictionary states that the meaning of consultation is “the action or process of formally discussing with an expert or professional in order to seek advice.” The definition can be stretched to include “discussions with (someone), typically before undertaking a course of action.” Did the President confer with the majority opposition before taking to Parliament that unwise action for the opposition to approve an unaffordable G$208 billion Budget? Would the President operate like that with his personal finances?
Thus the President does have some political gall to say “I want to promise you today that the cuts that were made in Parliament, I will do every single thing possible to reverse those cuts, because I will not allow them to affect the people of our country.” He got one thing right; he will not allow the majority opposition to save the children of Guyana from the financial burden his Government is planning to saddle them with. How much worse can this regime get?
Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

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