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$3B missing from public servants’ salary increase?
…House votes $4.4B but only $1.5B being paid
A five percent increase for public servants by Government has sparked anger by the Guyana Public Service Union. It also has an Opposition party now wondering whether $3B budgeted for workers may be missing.
AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
Last week, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said that a five percent increase for public servants and public sector workers was most likely in keeping with tradition. He said that the funds were budgeted for.
“That matter is hallowed. It is not likely to exceed the planned five percent that is in the budget,” Dr Luncheon stated. This increase, he said in his weekly press conference last Wednesday, is retroactive to January 2013. An announcement of the formal approval is expected to be made shortly, a Government statement confirmed of his press conference.
It is his statement that has the main bargaining body, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), and now the Alliance For Change (AFC) hopping mad.
Earlier, this year the National Assembly voted $29.129B in wages for public servants. It also voted $4.4B to cater for salary increases.
Government’s announcement of the five percent will cost around $1.5B.
“So where is the rest of almost $3B? When we voted for over $4.4B it worked out about a 15 percent increase. This is nonsense,” says AFC’s leader, Khemraj Ramjattan. His party controls seven of the 33 seats in the Opposition-controlled National Assembly. The party is now planning to raise the issue there. It was the same complaint raised by GPSU.
The announcement has been meeting with growing unhappiness with protests already coming from the workers of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Linden Hospital, the West Demerara Hospital, the Guyana Post Office Corporation and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
Over the weekend, GPSU blasted Government saying that the announced increase is insensitive, disrespectful and ruthless.
The union said that it will be the big salaried ‘Fat Cats’, who are paid significantly more, who would benefit while the rest of the labour force, whose percent realizes the bare minimum, finds this payout a meager aid.
GPSU has been complaining that it has been bypassed for several years with Government not negotiating with them for increased benefits, as is stipulated by regulations.
The Opposition is questioning the salary increase announced by Government last week.
Rather, for the last few years, Government has been announcing an average a five percent increase in December.
To make matters worse, in January, the union said that it met with President Donald Ramotar where it was agreed that a multi-year proposal for wages and salaries will have to be submitted.
GPSU said that it complied but nothing has since been done by Government.
“Is this an acceptable attitude for a self proclaimed working class Government? Is this the desired attitude that we as a nation would like to inculcate in future leaders? Is this representative of our nation’s professionalism?”
Yesterday, members of the Government said that the government has no monies to pay more as the Opposition had made cuts to the national budget.
Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, blamed the $32B budget cut and economy downturn for the five percent.
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