The Guyana Public Service Union has issued another call for the retirement age for public servants to be raised to at least 60 years old. The union issued the call at a press briefing on Saturday, at which it also urged that government resume and complete the Public Service Modernisation Programme, saying that the service continued to have an archaic system and poor work environment.
Today the union will celebrate the United Nations-designated Public Services Day and singled out the two issues, which it wants the government to pay attention to.
According to union head Patrick Yarde, the union had approached government to work in partnership with it to celebrate the occasion but this has not materialized and hence, there will be separate events. He said the union has been invited to send representatives to the government events marking the occasion today, but noted that the union will also hold its activity at its New Garden and Regent streets headquarters.
On this occasion, Yarde said, the union wished to reflect on the conditions of service currently being experienced by public servants.
With reference to the raising of the retirement age, Yarde told reporters present that the current retirement age has been in existence in excess of 70 years. He noted that the life span of Guyanese has substantially increased and there are many healthy persons retiring. He charged that there is a discriminatory and political approach in re-employment, adding that this discretional conduct has significantly contributed to the personalizing and politicizing of the public service.
Further, Yarde said, modernization of the public service is necessary to improve the atmosphere at work, provide an environment that contributes to job satisfaction and to enhance the delivery of the service to the public.
The union head also reiterated the union’s desire to see immediate increases in allowances generally and more specifically travelling and meal allowances for nurses.
Yarde also said that in excess of 80% of the public service was earning less than $50,000 a month, placing them below the poverty line.
He called on government to eradicate poverty from within the ranks of the public service employees and to pay a living wage. He said in so doing the government would do much to contribute to higher levels of morale, a motivated workforce and improved production and productivity.
