President Irfaan Ali on Friday drew rebuke after a bid to push back against criticism of his government’s imposed 7% pay hike for public servants, with the workers’ union maintaining that the administration broke the law by ignoring the agreed collective bargaining process.
In an address to the nation, Ali accused “so-called” trade union leaders of acting like political operatives in their reaction to the announcement of the increases just over a week ago. Trade unions and the main opposition are among the groups that have decried both the size of the increases in the face of the rising cost of living as well as the government’s unilateral imposition of them despite the calls for negotiations by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
“I appeal to the unions to take off their political hats and put on the hat of reality, the hat of fairness, and, in a comprehensive way, they too should applaud the government,” Ali, however, said in his address, in which he emphasised that his government was not only focusing on salary increases but the welfare of the people.
