Celebrating mediocrity in the Public Service

Jun 21, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

There was a time when the Guyana Public Service consisted only of persons recruited ostensibly within the purview of an active Public Service Commission, and in appropriate view of an attentive Guyana Public Service Union. In 1992, a comprehensive job evaluation exercise was undertaken; the results of which established the following categories of public servants:
– Administrative
– Senior Technical
– Other Technical and Craft Skilled
– Clerical & Office Support
– Semi-Skilled Operatives & Unskilled
Beginning early in this century, there was introduced, and formalised in the Budget, the category of ‘Contracted Employees’ – with financially better arrangements than their permanent ‘pensionable’ counterparts. For despite the fact that the former were ‘granted’ gratuity at 22.5% of salary every six months (cumulating to a 90% increase in two years) for doing the same jobs as the ‘pensionables’, they were also awarded the same ‘annual’ increases by all the administrations – in substantive contravention of applicable compensation management principles.
The point to be stressed is that given the significant technological development, and consequent organisational changes over the past 30 years, none of the creative administrations seem to have been advised by their selected Contractors/Consultants of the logical need to invest in a fundamental reconstruction of the Public Service. On the contrary, just recently in Region 6, one heard expounded that ‘better services’ can be offered by a new breed of ‘public servants’, i.e. ‘Part-time Temporaries’ payable by ‘grants’. One is therefore faced with the reality of the latter being categorised under ‘Semi-Skilled Operatives and Unskilled’ in the next year’s Budget. Already those in Essequibo have been assigned to the Ministries of Education and Health respectively. Alternatively, they may all be placed within the category of ‘Granted Employees’.
In all the circumstances, it would not be inappropriate to enquire, whether in the midst of the heralded future of ‘human development’, citizens must be resigned to a Public Service that will grow upwards only from the following:

– Clerical & Office Support – 7199
– Semi – skilled Operatives &Unskilled – 5009
12208
Is it to be assumed that the above have neither ambition nor capacity for the fabled development; nor similarly are the 6584 ‘Other Technical & Craft-skilled’? Why does the Guyana Public Service Union appear to agree with the view that the abovementioned human beings do not aspire to more productive careers? And how do the latter explain to their children that they are constipated – within an employment construct that stubbornly omits to conduct any expected performance evaluation exercise from which they can dream – at least of an increment (now a totally unknown/unutilised descriptor); and even a promotion; for the senior positions are reserved for ‘Contracted Employees’ – presumably in the interest of their specific ‘human development’
And yet after three decades, no Administration has actually developed the capacity within the Public Service that comes near to understanding and addressing the imperative need for ‘human development’. For Guyana must be exceptional amongst governments the world over in continuing to speak of the position of ‘Personnel Officer’ – reflected in the 2022 Budget as follows – within the 14 Grade Structure of the Public Service (with the respective numbers)

GS11 – Principal Personnel Officer – 12
(Human Resources Manager – 1)
GS9 – Senior Personnel Officer – 19
GS6 – Personnel Officer II – 10
GS5 – Personnel Officer I – 8
In the absence of evidence of any formal performance evaluation, the above would appear to suggest that promotion could start from the category of Clerical & Office Support.
Exceptionally, however, there is a Senior Recruitment & Manpower Officer in the Ministry of Labour.
But at the other end of the employment spectrum is the issue of ‘Termination’ -incidentally the victims of which do not appear to be eligible for either ‘grants’ or indeed ‘severance pay’. Depending on age and service, it is possible that some will lose eligibility for pension; but most critically, the ability to maintain families – in and out of school.
How can all the parties involved- winners (?) and losers (!) – not recall that the Constitution of Guyana provides certain fundamental rights and freedoms. Of five Rights, three relate to:
Article 149A – Right to Work
Article 149B – Right to Pension and Gratuity
Article 149C – Right to participate in decision – making process of the state.
“No person shall be hindered in the employment of his or her right to work, that is to say, the right to free choice of employment.”
‘149(1) – Subject to the provision of this article –
(a) No law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect;
(b) No person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any authority’.
But enough has been said. More fundamental however, is the question asked by the child of a senior official pontificate: ‘Daddy, I miss my schoolmate, who cannot come to school. Her father cannot afford the support since he was dismissed by our Government’.
So many keep awaiting ‘Daddy’s’ answer (anticipated to be in the defence of ‘human development’) – misinterpreted from the Constitution.
Children of the severed, whether sugar estate or public service, are unlikely to forget; nor would they look forward to themselves being in the category of ‘Granted Employees’.