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Workers continue to reject 5% salary increase
The scene outside Office of the President yesterday as workers demanded that Govt. pays what was voted for in Parliament for salary increases
… Protest action moves to Office of the President
Disgruntled public service employees have vowed that they will not allow Government to turn a bread and butter issue into a political one.
This is the view held by Jermaine Hermonstine, Industrial Relations Officer of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), who yesterday led a picketing exercise outside of Office of the President, calling for the Government to pay what was approved in Parliament, and not the five percent recently announced by Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon.
Yesterday’s demonstrators outside Office of the President included employees from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Teaching Service Commission, Geology and Mines Commission, and the Ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture.
The protest action followed a similar exercise the previous day at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
According to the GPSU official, this is but the beginning of the protest action, and the union intends to intensify its efforts.
Hermonstine said that GPSU is demanding that the Government pay the 15 per cent increase that was voted for in Parliament earlier this year.
“Five per cent is a fraction of what was passed at Parliament and it is a right that we deserve,” Hermonstine said.
He also related to this publication that persons from across the 10 administrative regions have been calling the union to find out how they can be a part of the protest action.
“Workers across the country are disgruntled,” said Hermonstine.
He added that the workers would be using their lunch hour each day to exercise their legitimate right to protest, “because of what it is they should be getting.”
“The protest action will continue and intensify if it is that government wants to play games.”
He drew reference to a recent statement by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who in defending the proposed five per cent pay increase, drew reference to the budget cuts by Parliament.
Hermonstine emphasised that the money that the opposition slashed from the budget was not for wages and salaries
“We all know that money was not cut; the money we are asking for was not cut and we are not going to allow Government to turn a bread and butter issue into a political issue.”
Yesterday’s placard-bearing protestors stood outside of the Vlissengen Street entrance of Office of the President for the greater part of the lunch hour chanting, “five per cent can’t right” among other slogans in an attempt to bring their plight to the attention of the Executive.
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