GPSU says $25,000 bonus should not halt salaries negotiations

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Wednesday said that the ,000 bonus that was offered to public servants must not be used as a tool to end salary negotiations between the Union and Government.

First Vice President of the GPSU, Mortimer Livan, made the statement at a press conference, stating that the Union is concerned with the state of salary negotiations, which at the moment is incomplete.
The Vice President stated that the announcement of a $25,000 bonus which the Union refers to as a “Christmas Freck” to public servants is a tactic being used to halt the negotiations.
“The announcement late last week that public servants earning less than $500,000 per month are to be paid a one-off, tax-free bonus of $25,000 comes against the backdrop of ongoing uncertainty over the status of the incomplete and outstanding wages and salaries negotiations between the Guyana Public Service Union and the Government of Guyana.”
Livan added that President David Granger has on many occasions publicly announced that the 10 per cent increase of the wages of public servants is an interim payment and would not halt negotiations; however, this is exactly what occurred.
“We have written the President on many occasions and he wrote us back saying yes, it is not the final stage and that negotiations will continue. But we are faced now with some delaying tactics by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Service and there seems to be time for them to work out ramifications for the 25 per cent bonus, but they cannot meet with us to finalise the wages and salaries.”
The Union announced that it is of the firm opinion that such diversionary tactics should be replaced by swiftly returning to the salaries negotiation table.
The Union noted that the persistence of periodic handouts to public servants in a fashion that seeks to relegate them to mendicants, cannot and will not be allowed to replace fair and honest collective bargaining.
Livan stated that the Union will be retaliating at their Executive Council Meeting to be held next week where a firm decision will be taken by the Union.