Government hard-balling public servants and their union

Sep 07, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Whether engaged in consultations or in full-fledged collective bargaining, the good faith of the parties must be assured. This is reflected in international norms. I must confess that now that we have a number of 10% after a long and arduous process, I was a bit excited. Finally, the workers will get a “small piece”. But it is not to be and the question is why? Well GPSU wants to go to arbitration. But that does not necessarily mean a delay in this 10% payout for those at the bottom of the ladder. But as part of their tactics to hardball the workers and their union, the Granger administration has decided not to release the 10% to those at the bottom of the ladder I have been advised. Unconscionable, uncaring and heartless was by immediate reaction to this decision.
But it exposes a great bit of hypocrisy. After taking 50% for yourself, we continue to play politics with the people’s 10%? It matters not if the GPSU rejects this 10% position, the political and economic opportunity must be sought from these negotiations. Rationally this ought to be seen as a two-tracked process. One – release the recommended payout now. Two – commence the arbitration process to validate whether the recommendation was a fair deal and why not more cannot be afforded. In the final analysis, however long the arbitration process takes at least the workers can say they got something.
But the happening on the ground clearly exposes that all along the Granger administration was not negotiating in good faith. What has happened in reality is at great divergence to the promises in the APNU/AFC Manifesto which said on Page 25 that “as a prelude to the restoration of Collective Bargaining throughout the Public Service, the APNUAFC will increase the salaries of all government workers, on a graduated basis, with the lowest paid receiving a 10% rise”. So we did not need the Collective Bargaining Process (CBP) to pay out this 10% all along. And there was enough cash in the parallel Treasury (the para-statal organization like GGMC, etc) left by Team Ramotar which at last count was reported holding some G$22 billion in excess cash.
Guyana can learn much from New Zealand, which has enacted a “Code of Good Faith in Collective Bargaining” under the auspices of their Employment Relations Act, 2000. This includes a requirement that the parties are responsive and communicative and do not do anything likely to mislead or deceive each other. Overwhelmingly more and more workers are arriving at the conclusion that the Ministry of Finance is out to deceive them. It is important that President Granger steps into this situation and do right by the workers to recover lost ground. It is time to address the trust deficit that is alive and well today between the workers and the Government. Let us put back some good faith into the process. Please pay the workers what you recommended and let us move on.
Sase Singh

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