GPSU chides Govt for delaying public servants wage negotiations – Yarde

Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde said he was very disappointed with the seeming procrastination by Government on the recommencement of public servants wage negotiations.

“The delay is on the part of the Government and not the GPSU. We have stated that even before the last quarter report was out, that we were ready to talk and we have never, ever turned down a request to meet and as a matter of fact, we have been making requests to meet and that has not materialised,” Yarde said.

“I am very disappointed with the procrastination that is taking place and we will be addressing this through correspondence (to the Government) again,” he added.

Yarde said he hoped there would not be any further delays in having that matter addressed. According to him, there is “an economic crisis ongoing” and people need economic relief. For that to happen, the Government needs to expeditiously address the burning issue of living wages and consequential increases for all public servants.

He noted that Finance Minister Winston Jordan wrote to him indicating that he was now mandated by President David Granger to negotiate the wage increases to which he responded indicating the Union’s willingness to resume those talks. “I responded to him also indicating our willingness to meet and that was since last year and that could not be arranged,” he informed.

“Our commitment to the public service was to ensure that the terms and conditions of service, including wages, that we are going to address them. The conditions of service and those matters are already being addressed. So, what we are talking about is a raft of measures that will increase or improve the quality of service of our public servants and those things are being addressed,” Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said when asked about the wage negotiations.

Last August after intense negotiations between the GPSU and the Government, a 10 per cent increase in salaries for public servants earning below $99,000, and a one to six per cent raise for other categories of workers were announced. That was the final offer by the Government.

However, this was met with criticisms by the GPSU, whose demands were not met. The Union, in a statement, said that during negotiations, Government’s attempt to paint a gloomy picture of economic turmoil as a direct consequence of the 1999/2000 Armstrong tribunal awards as well as alleging that 6000 workers lost their jobs were entirely misleading and deliberately dishonest.

It is unclear whether the Government is willing to return to the table to continue the negotiations, since it is yet to respond to the Union’s request.