Court orders that engineer be granted permanent employment

Dismissal of Public Works’ engineer

– still off job 2 years later

The High Court has ordered the reinstatement of engineer Latchman Singh, who was relieved of his duties two years ago after the then Regional Executive Officer (REO) failed to submit the requisite documentation to appoint him as a permanent staff.

On rotation between Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) Singh was approved as a permanent employee when his contractual agreement was about to end back in August 2018. The then Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Eight, Gavin Gunga, was tasked with submitting to the Commission the relevant documentation to confirm Singh’s appointment, but this was not done.
As such, when Singh turned up for work on September 1, 2018 as a permanent staff, the Regional Democratic Council contended that they were not in receipt of any communique from the Commission, and he was sent home.
The Commission later confirmed that the documentation had indeed been sent, but the RDC was adamant that they were not in possession of same, although he had promised that once they receive the documents, the appointment would be made.
During the time to address the matter, the RDC refused to allow Singh to occupy his office, and he was forced out of employment without any gratuity, as mandated through his tenure as a contractual employee.
As such, Singh sought to challenge the matter through his Attorney, Arudranauth Gossai. On June 5, 2020, before High Court Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, an order was issued for him to be paid $924,000 in gratuity.
The Court Order also directed the new REO, Mitzy Campbell, to submit all documents to the Public Service Commission for the finalisation of his permanent employment.
Since the order was served, only the gratuity has been paid, but the RDC has failed to comply with the other instructions. Singh has signalled his intention to initiate additional legal action for breach of the order.
Back in 2019, Singh told Guyana Times that this was a grave injustice and discrimination against him, while noting that he has a family to support.
He expressed the conviction that he was being victimised because he had disclosed malpractice and misappropriation of Government funds by the REO of Region Two at a Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting in 2018.