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Public Service Union seeks 30 percent wage increase in 2014
While the Public Service Ministry has mentioned discussions between the Government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) for a “proper formula for workers’ wages,” the GPSU is calling for 30 percent increase in wages and salaries for 2014.
Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford in her Budget debate presentation recently stated that the Administration is in talks with the workers’ union and mentioned that the collective bargaining mechanism had been activated. She told Kaieteur News yesterday that hopes are high that the two sides can come up with decisions that would be mutually favourable.
Westford said discussions have been cordial and talks seem to
Protest: Public workers downed tools last year in protest of “arbitrary” wage increase
be going smoothly.
However, GPSU’s Senior Industrial Officer Dennis English says that no discussions have been held with the Union. He explained that since the meeting that was held in February, there has been no other discussion with the Administration.
He explained that every year the Union would submit their proposals for the Budget, which would include recommendations on public wages, but the February meeting did not entail any discussions for increases for 2014; “and it would therefore be untrue to say that the Government is in discussions with the Union over wages and salaries.”
English submitted that the February meeting dealt specifically with outstanding matters which included personal issues facing workers and other general matters such as working conditions and outstanding wages. The proposals that were distributed to the Government, English said involved 25 percent for last year, 30 percent for this year and 35 for next year.
Although the meeting was initiated by Government, none of the proposals has been implemented by the Administration, English said. He also pointed out that there was no reply on what was submitted for this year’s Budget.
The union also requested that the income tax threshold be increased by $100,000.
English told the newspaper that the Union is adamant on its displeasure with Government’s continued imposition of increases on public workers without the agreed collective bargaining mechanism. He said the Union is still involved in its fanning out exercise which will determine the way forward on handling the matter.
Last year, public servants launched mass protests across the country against the imposition of five percent wage increase. The Union had promised to continue the protest in 2014.
Opposition parties; Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have already highlighted their intent to scrutinize sums that are being allocated to public workers. Many questions were raised when it was revealed that the money allocated to public workers was not expended for what it was intended. Finance Minister Ashni Singh explained that the allocations for public workers’ increases were found, but failed to provide a paper trail as was requested by the Opposition parties and the workers’ Union.
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