GPSU rejects denial of its meetings on Ministry’s premises

Mar 12, 2014 News

By Zena Henry
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has expressed discontent over the denial of union meetings being held on Ministry property.
As part of the continuing “fan out” exercise in the GPSU’s re-grouping process to re-organize action against the “arbitrary” five percent public servant wage increase, the union held a meeting with its members attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, but this has caused contention between union members and their management.
GPSU’s First Vice President, Mortimer Livan, explained to Kaieteur News that the union had written the Ministry’s administration requesting time-off for union members to attend a meeting which was scheduled for mid-morning yesterday. While workers were granted time-off to attend the meeting, a letter from the Ministry stated that, “permission is not granted for the meeting to be held on the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture.”
It was noted that while the request was sent from GPSU last Friday, the union received a reply on Monday, and the staffers’ branch chairman received notice half an hour before the meeting was held yesterday. Livan has stated however, that to refuse staffers from meeting with the union on Ministry premises “contravenes the rules of the collective labour agreement.” He further condemned threats reportedly made by the Ministry to send letters to the staffers who attend the consultations.
Livan asserted that the fan out meetings are important to get persons aware of what is happening in relation to continuing protest action against the government-imposed five percent wage increase. He indicated that the utterances to the workers can be viewed as a means of intimidation. It was also noted that while a handful of staffers turned out for yesterday’s meeting, many others expressed fear of victimization and refused to attend.
Livan stated that several agencies remain to be visited, while the GPSU has already met with many others in and around Georgetown. He added that the response from union members has been favourable and while the outreach programme is not close to its end, “some activities could be starting up March 25.”
Towards the end of last year, GPSU members commenced intense protest action against the five percent increase. They stated that for more than 10 years they have lived with the arbitrarily imposed wage increase; with government continuously refusing to honour the collective bargaining agreement which instructs that the union and the government hold discussions over appropriate wage increases.
Nurses, Ministry workers, and other public servants had downed tools across the country demanding an increase on the annual wage increase. The holiday season had seen city protests being put on hold, with promises being made that the public servants would reconvene demonstrations against the meagre wages in the new year.
While opposition leaders have argued that enough money is allocated in Parliament for a better wage increase, the government holds firm to not being able to pay more than five percent to public workers. The main opposition parties had called on the Finance Minister to explain what was done with the public servants’ money, and later warned that if the allocations for public workers are not being paid out, then it will be lessened in the budget.

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GPSU rejects denial of its meetings on Ministry’s premises

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