City Hall cannot pay workers owed monies in lump sum – Town Clerk

…payment plan suggested

Town Clerk Royston King on Tuesday told the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) that the Georgetown municipality (M&CC) is unable to pay its workers in lump sum the money it owes them for retroactive payments on wages and salaries and increases given to the workers.
This disclosure was made at a meeting held with the GLU to discuss the workers’ welfare one day after scores of City Hall workers (M&CC) had taken to the streets to protest the non-payment of their retroactive payments.
The workers’ strike action was also in regard to deductions for National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, PAYE and union dues being taken from their earnings

but not being remitted to the relevant agencies.
However, as the main source of contention was regarding the payment of retroactive monies on wages and salaries, and increase given to the workers, King suggested a payment plan be implemented, and this was reportedly accepted with some modifications by the Union.
“The council, at this point in time, is unable to pay the retroactive monies in a lump sum… However, we suggested a payment plan, which was accepted with some modifications, by the union,” the town Clerk disclosed.
King stated on Monday that retroactive payments have already been paid for 2015 and 2016, while City Hall is now working to pay out the outstanding amounts for 2017.
The workers are, however, contending that they are owed a small sum of money from the year 2016 and the entire of 2017.
“Out of 27 months, they have 13 months left back for us, and they said that they gon pay it this month, and we can’t get a date…,” one protester revealed.
The group of protesters who were represented by the GLU consisted of members of the City Engineer’s Department and the Solid Waste Department. They have declared themselves tired of receiving failed promises.
“We’re protesting here because of an injustice that [has] been going on here for the longest while. I wuking here 10 years now, and you ain’t getting nothing tangible. Everything is just promises, promises, and nothing ain’t coming out of it…” a protester decried.
In defending City Council’s current financial position, King told the media during the protest that the increases initially promised to the workers were anticipated revenues which have fallen through.
“The Council awarded its workers a pay package across-the-board in 2015; a 5 percent in 2016; 2017, seven percent; and 2018, eight percent across-the-board to all of its workers; and these increases were based on anticipated revenues which were not realised by the Council,” King explained.
Regarding the non-remittance of NIS, PAYE and union dues deducted from the workers’ earnings, the Town Clerk related that “other concerns raised by the union are being adequately addressed by the Mayor and City Council”.
Over the years, City Hall has been attracting attention for its inability to pay its workers. The Mayor has been recorded in the media as deeming the Municipality “bankrupt”; and in the past, Central Government has had to intervene with financing to provide a bailout.