The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) approved its multi-year wages and salaries proposal for 2013-2015 at a statutory meeting held last Monday and submitted same to government via the Public Service Ministry.
In a press release, GPSU President Patrick Yarde said the proposal was submitted to Hydar Ally, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service.
The union also said that on November 20, 2012 it had submitted to Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh a proposal for his consideration to be included in the proposed National Budget for 2013. This submission included proposals for wages, salaries and allowances for the public service for 25%. The GPSU had also requested a meeting with the minister but did not receive a response.
In his letter to Ally, following the May 13, 2013 Statutory Executive Council Meeting, the GPSU President said the proposal reflected its position on the “arbitrary increases for the years up to and including 2012, as expounded in our correspondence dated December 6, 2012.” With regard to the individual years, the union proposed for 2013, a 25% across the board increase in wages and salaries; for 2014, 30% across the board increases in wages and salaries and for 2015, 35% across the board increases in wages and salaries.
The GPSU is also requesting that in view of the fact that the Estimates of Expenditure for 2013 has already been approved by the National Assembly and among the provisions was a sum of $4.404B for the revision of wages and salaries, an interim increase of 15% should be made immediately, pending the outcome of negotiations for wages and salaries.
The union is also seeking an immediate commencement of negotiations and a commitment to a professional process of discussion, so that an award could be made expeditiously to forestall the unacceptable norms of end-of-year impositions which have been the hallmark of government’s practices for over a decade.
Regarding increases in allowances for public workers, the union stands by its proposal that was submitted in a letter to the permanent secretary at the public service ministry dated September 24, 2009, and is requesting that that proposal be used as the base and that similar increases be applied to all the years: 2013 – 25%; 2014-30% and 2015-35%.
