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Door opens for further negotiations on Public Service wage increase – Pres. Granger
Despite concerns over Government’s recent proposals for salary increases for public servants, President David Granger has insisted that the APNU –AFC administration has not closed the door on the Union on future discussions on the matter.
President David Granger
The President’s views were captured in the recently aired weekly televised programme “the Public Interest.”
According to President Granger, the Government will continue to hold discourse with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) in an effort to create a more efficient public service.
“I am not saying that the public servants do not deserve more. We did everything that is possible and entered the negotiations in good faith. We have not discontinued negotiations, but that is the final offer (for now). Because of the preparations for next year’s budget, we need to tidy up this business before the last quarter,” the Head of State explained.
The President said that based on the country’s current indebtedness, the 10% offer is the most feasible. “It is not unjust. It is perhaps what can be afforded at the moment.”
He admits that when APNU–AFC Government went into office “we did not anticipate the volume of indebtedness of the Guyana Sugar Corporation and the fall in prices of other national commodities such as bauxite, gold and timber.
He noted too that the social sector has taken quite a bit of the country’s revenue.
The President said, however that the Government will continue to engage the GPSU towards providing an efficient public service.
“There are a number of other initiatives on the table,” he added.
In a recent statement, the government made a final offer of a 10 percent increase in salaries for public servants working earning below $99,000, and has made an offer of 1-6% for other categories of workers.
According to a statement issued, the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) concluded discussions on Wages and Salaries for Public Servants within the Bargaining Unit for 2016. The negotiations were conducted in the spirit of cordiality and mutual respect, and were consistent with the obligations of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Guyana Public Service Union and the Public Service Ministry for the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes.
The negotiations were conducted within a two-month period from June 22, 2016 to August 24, 2016, during which period both the GoG and the GPSU presented proposals.
The government has made a final offer of a 10 percent increase in salaries for public servants. The initial proposal of the GPSU was for a 40% across-the-board increase for public servants. The union had also requested that allowances be included in the negotiations.
The GoG’s proposal took into consideration the fundamental need for a restructured Public Service which included the adjustment of scales for wages and salaries; the implementation of a merit increment system; and a resolution of the issue of bunching. It was pointed out to the union, that each of these would entail an additional cost to Government and result in increased earnings for Public Servants.
However the GOG’s proposal was rejected by the union. It was pointed out to the GPSU that the GoG’s final offer for wage and salary increases for Public Servants had taken into consideration the current socio-economic environment; the difficulty in agreeing to increases that would entail having to raise additional revenue and the unsustainability of any further addition to its offer with regard to the current and future budgets.
The GoG therefore reiterated to the union that its members were also the Government’s employees and that the Government was equally mindful of the need for financial relief for the workers under consideration.
The union was also reminded of the relief measures that were granted to public servants since the ascension of the new administration to office in May 2015. Those measures included an increase of the minimum wage to $50,000; a 5% across-the-board plus $5000 increase, all within the 2015 National Budget, and, a one-off bonus of $50,000 for Public Servants earning below $500,000 per month in December 2015.
The GPSU agreed to consider the Government’s final offer and indicated that a response will be forthcoming after a meeting of its General Council.
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