Scathing indictment of the Coalition Government

Aug 30, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The following quote is taken from the then APNU+AFC Presidential candidate’s manifesto statement: “This APNU+AFC Coalition’s Manifesto prescribes a unified approach to bring an end to the cronyism at high levels that is a drain on our financial resources and is blocking our development; to crime, that is bleeding the lives and bodies of our women and youths and scaring away investors; to corruption in the law-enforcement and regulatory agencies in the mining and forestry sectors and to constitutional abuse by the President, Cabinet and executive branch of the government.”
Mr. Editor reading the above statement it must be asked if the President believe these words today as his cabinet is embroiled in one scandal after another. In the media we learned that the government is offering a 10% pay increase to public servants earning under $100, 000 per month and a decreasing percentage index based on set income brackets. We must remind the government that under the first 100 days list, item two of the twenty-one they promised “significant salary increases for government workers, including nurses; teachers in primary, secondary, and tertiary education; security personnel; and civil servants on the traditional payroll.”
It is therefore shocking to read that what the Government of Guyana has offered as part of the collective bargaining process. This proposed increase is nothing more than the legitimization of the outrageous 5% pay increase that previous government handed out during the Christmas. If the unions accept this affront of an increase then they have failed their members and are culpable in showing wanton disregards for the hard working public.
This 10% is nowhere near “significant” and at a minimum the government should have offered public servants 20% or better yet half of what they voted for themselves. Additionally, since the police and soldiers do not have a union they should be offered an equal pay increase as the legislative members and the executive members, based on the same flawed logic provided in the explanation for the aforementioned salary increase by the Minister of the Presidency.
The public is treated to more indignities of this administration with the recent remarks of the Minister of National Security to the media. He said “It is very difficult at this stage to increase salaries. The minute you start increasing policemen (sic) salaries, the nurses are going to jump on our backs, public servants will go, the teachers will want increases.” These remarks were not made incognito or by some low level officio of the government. What these remarks betray, is that the Guyana Public Service Union need not look forward to any greater offer during the collective bargaining from this government. It was not “difficult” in September 2015 to increase the salary of the wealthy men and women who see government service as nothing more than an enrichment scheme.
Under the section of the manifesto titled “The APNU+AFC Coalition is resolutely Committed To,” one of the items they commit themselves to is “the creation of a Guyana in which all citizens can live productive lives free from the ravages of poverty…” By offering an insulting 10% maximum salary increase will ensure that our hardest workers will remain trapped in the throes of poverty. They will birth another generation to live in the abject poverty that has gripped them for more than two decades.
This insulting wage proposition, the extensive opprobrium regarding contract awards and other acts are redolent of a betrayal of their manifesto’s promises. The unions should be preparing for strike action across the nation until public servants are offered and paid better wages. For twenty-four years our public servants have been treated a tad bit above slaves. It is also time for the public at large to raise their voices and ask this government to begin working on delivering the “good life” promised. The hierophants will not skip a beat to remind us of twenty-three years of PPP/C nonfeasance, which is a given. However, today the PPP/C is in opposition and the coalition received its empowerment imprint. We the public should not be accepting half-hearted apologizes and despicable excuses from a government whose members used their oratory skills to call out all wrong doings of the previous government.
Mr. Editor, the words of the President in his election manifesto when compared to the actions of his administration are in vast contrast to the reality of his government. They have become the beast which they once criticized and is now marred in their own brand of raping the treasury and affronting the entire citizenry. This congressional troop must now start working to both regain the public’s trust and serve the public. Equally, the public needs to become more vocal and demand the “good governance” and “good life” promised. It leaves one to ponder whether this government intends on contesting the 2020 elections, for these types of unforced errors will be costly.
Tyrone L. Talbot

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