GPSU threatens nationwide industrial action

Sep 12, 2014 News

The Guyana Public Service Union yesterday threatened countrywide industrial action if workers’ needs continue to be thrown in a corner by Government.
President of the union, Patrick Yarde, at a press conference yesterday expressed disgust at “how callous and insensitive the government of the day is”.
Yarde said that Government has continuously failed to address adequate remuneration for public sector workers and other conditions of service, including security of tenure, and the observance of due process in dealing with matters.
According to Yarde, since last year May, GPSU proposals were submitted to the Public Service Ministry for wages, salaries and allowances for the period 2013-2015. Notwithstanding commitments given to the union by officials of the government, Yarde said that nothing has happened since then.
Three months ago Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, by way of correspondence, stated, “The Public Service Ministry is currently engaging the Ministry of Finance on modalities regarding the issues of salary negotiations for public servants.”
Yarde further stated that the union has not been able to meet with the Ministry since then to negotiate any increase, which is in breach of the agreement for the avoidance and settlement of disputes between the GPSU and the Government. It requires that the two parties have to meet without unreasonable delays.
The GPSU was again forced to write to the Permanent Secretary expressing its disgust with this “unacceptable conduct.”
The union Head said that GPSU has also “dispatched memorandums to its membership to mobilize and discuss for eventual determination forms of industrial actions that should be pursued to effectively bring about a more responsible, reasonable and respectful response from the Government of Guyana.”
Public Service Minister, Dr, Jennifer Westford, in her Budget debate presentation had stated that the Administration is in talks with the workers’ union and mentioned that the collective bargaining mechanism had been activated.
Westford, in April, was in high hopes that the two sides could come up with decisions that would be mutually favourable.
Last year, public servants launched protests across the country against the imposition of five percent wage increase. The Union had promised to continue the protests in 2014, however that never materialized.
The parliamentary opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), have already signalled their intention 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 had explained that the allocations for public workers’ increases were found, but failed to provide a paper trail as was requested by the Opposition and the workers’ Union.

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GPSU threatens nationwide industrial action

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