The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has written to President Bharrat Jagdeo requesting that he mandate that the provisions of the Appropriation Act be used to pump up the salaries of public sector workers.
According to the letter, signed by GPSU President Patrick Yarde, which was made available to the media yesterday, the “GPSU noted that parliament had approved a sum of $1.961 billion for the revision of wages and salaries” for 2006.
“Notwithstanding this, and in conflict with the appropriated provisions, government imposed a 5% salary increase in December, but retroactive to January 1, 2006.”
The letter also contended that the imposition was in conflict with the fundamental principles of free collective bargaining, International Labour Organisation Conventions 87, 98 and 151 and the agreement for the avoidance and settlement of disputes between the parties.
Yarde has also requested that Jagdeo facilitate the involvement of the union in all matters pertaining to salary increases in accordance with the fundamental principles of free collective bargaining including all other areas of dispute, particularly the improvement in allowances paid to public officers, which have remained stagnant for over a decade.
“As you are aware workers experience severe hardships in the existing environment and over 50% of them live in extreme poverty and can ill afford to provide adequately for themselves and families,” the letter continued.
The union has also requested the President’s urgent attention in this regard.
The union has copied the letter to the President of the World Bank Paul Wolfowitz, Managing Director of the IMF Rodrigo de Rato, Secretary-General of the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza, Director General of the ILO Juan Somavia, Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.
Opposition Leader Robert Corbin and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress Lincoln Lewis also received copies of the letter, according to the GPSU.
Meanwhile, in a press release issued yesterday, the union expressed concern about what it called a “display of unwillingness” to pay workers a decent wage “when funds have been approved by parliament and revenue collection targets have been surpassed”.
Speaking at the GPSU’s New Garden Street headquarters yesterday, Yarde said: “I don’t know how a government, who admits that public sector workers are poorly paid [and] has the ability to pay better
