The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) today said it had decided to seek conciliation at the Ministry of Labour on the deadlock with the government over pay for public servants.
The government has said its final offer of 1% to 10% stands and will be paid at the end of this month.
The decision by the GPSU brings it a step closer to arbitration where the two sides would have to present their arguments to an independent arbiter for final decision.
A statement by the GPSU follows:
At the meeting of the Executive Council of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) held today, Friday September 23, 2016 a unanimous decision was taken to communicate to the Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer of the Ministry of Social Protection, Department of Labour, the Union’s wish to enter into conciliation in the matter of what is now a dispute between the Union and the employer in the matter of wages and salaries increases for Public Servants for 2016.
In this regard, the Union takes the opportunity to restate its position that the employer’s expressed “final offer” is unreasonable and unacceptable and to state further that it considers the matter deadlocked since the September 14, 2016 between teams representing the Government of Guyana negotiators and the GPSU.
Further, the Executive Council of the GPSU has expressed its serious concern over the seeming insensitivity and absence of a sense of urgency on the part of the employer in dealing with the various other outstanding associated with public servants’ emoluments including de-bunching, increments and allowances. In this latter regard the Executive Council took a decision that the Government of Guyana be written to with regard to these matters with a view to having them dealt with expeditiously.
What also concerns the Executive Council and the Union as a whole is that the Government of Guyana appears to be reneging on its commitment to have separate negotiations for wages, salaries and allowance for semi-autonomous agencies. This position is based on information reaching the Union that what is being implemented in the Public Service is also being applied in semi-autonomous agencies.
