The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) yesterday repeated its call for the Government to commence outstanding negotiations of wages, salaries, and allowances for public service workers and committed to continue fighting to ensure that all frontline health workers are paid risk allowances.
During a press conference yesterday, Vice-President of the GPSU Dawn Gardener said that the union had submitted proposals to the government in September regarding wages, salaries and allowances for public servants. One meeting was held on November 14, 2020, between the union and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag, but no successful negotiations emerged as the minister reportedly stated that she had no mandate to discuss the matter of wages, salaries, and allowances with the GPSU.
According to Gardener, following the meeting there was no further correspondence between the union and the Government until February 3, 2021, when it submitted extensive proposals to the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh to be considered for inclusion in the 2021 budget. However, the union was not invited by the Minister of Finance to ventilate the proposals. “[This] was viewed as a departure of both pre- and post-elections commitment by this administration for inclusiveness,” Gardener said.
