The same measure used to pay Cabinet ministers and members of parliament must apply to remaining government workers, General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, Lincoln Lewis has said, amid growing disquiet by the union on wages talks.
Recent remarks by Finance Minister Winston Jordan that public service workers should not expect big salary increases have alarmed the union and it has expressed concern that his remarks may prejudice negotiations on wage increases and said it was inappropriate. Subsequently, the Guyana Public Service Union said it had written President David Granger regarding Jordan’s statements and what it said was the “protracted delay” in the start of wage negotiations between the union and government.
In a statement on Saturday, Lewis said the Human Development Index (HDI) that was used to determine salary increases for Cabinet and MPs who are government workers, must also be used as the barometer in determining wages and salaries for the remaining government workers.
“When this administration paid Cabinet and Members of Parliament increases in 2015, such were justified based on the HDI.
