Gov’t announces wage increases for public servants

The government yesterday announced increases in wages and salaries for public servants and members of the disciplined forces, just two days after the union representing workers complained about the continued annual impositions.

According to a statement from the Office of the President (OP), over 20,000 public servants and members of the disciplined forces have been approved increases for 2014 ranging from 5% to 8% of their wages and salaries as of December 31, 2013 and retroactive to January 1, 2014.

It added that the workers earning above $50,000 monthly as at December 31, 2013 are being granted an across the board increase of 5%, while those earning less than $50,000 monthly as at December 31, 2013 would be receiving an 8% increase, retroactive to January 1, 2014.

Teachers earning less than $50,000 monthly as at December, 31, 2013 are being granted an additional 3% across the board increase, in addition to the 5% increase already paid to them in keeping with the multi-year agreement concluded with their union. Their total increase would be 8%, retroactive to January 1, 2014.

The OP Statement said circulars have already been issued to effect the payment for the increases on the wages and salaries for 2014.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) last Thursday lambasted the Donald Ramotar administration for ignoring its obligation to engage in negotiations of wages and salaries for public servants.

For over a decade, government has repeatedly imposed annual increases on public servants while sidelining the GPSU.

 

“As long as the collective bargaining process, which is legally binding, is not being honoured, the right of the public service servants to collective bargaining is being trampled,” GPSU Vice-President Mortimer Livan told a press conference.

Livan said renewed attempts to initiate negotiations were repeatedly brushed aside by the Public Service Ministry.

Just two months after threatening industrial action, the union announced that it had written the European Union (EU) Dele-gation in Guyana informing it that the government is failing to fulfil the provisions of the Cotonou and Economic Partnership Agreements between the region and the EU, and requested its immediate intervention.

Copies of this letter, Livan added, were sent to the British High Commissioner, the Canadian High Commissioner and the United States Embassy.