Contravening the Public Service Act

Mar 23, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

In Guyana, the continued hiring of contract workers by the government has been making the headlines in the media in that it came under scrutiny by the opposition during the budget debate. Although the hiring of contract workers has been a longstanding practice by the previous government, it nonetheless has recently become a point of contention, mainly because the current administration has continued the practice which it had denounced in an earlier period.
In terms of hiring contract workers, there seems to be hardly any difference between this government and the last administration. It is clear that both governments have disregarded the mandate of the Public Service Commission and have violated the Public Service Act. The truth is, the hiring of public servants should be based strictly on merit and not party affiliation.
However, it is alleged that there are more contract workers employed by the government now than by the previous administration. But the Government through its senior Minister of State and Natural Resources Minister have insisted that the number of contract workers hired by the government has not increased, but rather, it is commensurate with the number of additional Ministries in the Office of the President. According to the Minister of State, the government is in the process of reforming the bureaucracy and during the next five years, it will integrate the contract workers into the Public Service.
Given the revelation of a large number of ghost employees under the former administration, the people had hoped for a change in policy from the new government. When in opposition, APNU+AFC had criticized the former administration for violating the Public Service Act by hiring contract workers, most of whom were friends and relatives of members of the party or their favorite candidates. Now in office, this government has continued the same practice, which is wrong to say the least. It appears that such practices have no doubt opened the door to political patronage which is a blatant act of nepotism. The truth is, Governments have found it much easier to hire contract workers rather than to wait on the tedious and lengthy hiring process of civil servants by the Public Service Commission.
The hiring of contract workers has eclipsed the traditional wheels of procedure which once saw permanent positions in government approved and filled by the Public Service Commission. Today, the role of that body has been reduced, as the government embraced the same hiring principles of civil servants as its predecessor.
There are several nuances for hiring contract workers. One, it is not clear if they could be disciplined by the rules of the Public Service Commission or rebuked directly by ministers or senior personnel. Two, they could be terminated at any time without compensation. And three, they are not unionized and are not entitled to a pension.
However, most contract workers are highly paid. In some cases, their salaries are twice those of the average civil servant. And they occupy a grey area of accountability, in the sense that while they operate in the civil service, they are not subject to the rules and regulations governing public servants. Public servants are governed by the Public Service Regulations, while contract workers fall under the guidelines and circulars issued by the heads of departments.
Contract workers are hired for their skills to perform a specific job in a specific time, but over time they would perform the functions of permanent employees in the Public Service, which essentially means that they are performing some of the functions of a full public servant.
Both Governments have created a system where there are one set of rules for the contract workers and another set for public servants. Instead of strengthening the Public Service, the government has weakened it for narrow partisan reasons. If the Public Service in Guyana is to be truly independent, efficient and professional, then the government must respect the Public Service Act and not undermine the Public Service Commission. It is wrong and must be discontinued.

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Contravening the Public Service Act

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