GPTWU threatens to take Govt to court over owed pension

…says Finance Ministry must stop dragging feet

After decades of waiting on monies owed to them by the Government as a result of the privatisation of the Guyana Telephone Company (GTC) back in 1990 to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), retired workers who were promised benefits are now taking the matter into their own hands and are ready to fight their war in the courtrooms.

This move was signalled by the President of the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Unions (GPTWU), Harold Shepherd, during a press conference held on Tuesday at the Union’s office on East Street, Georgetown.
In the presence of several retired workers, Shepherd said, “If we are forced to take this matter to court if it’s not resolved there [at the Finance Ministry], we are not only looking for the rightful pension but we will also be looking for retroactive payment on all outstanding amounts… if we have to go to court we will look at pain and suffering and all of those and the conditions that goes with all of that”.
He noted that the Finance Ministry has been given until the end of this week to respond before they take the matter to the court.
Asked by this publication whether the current political instability would deter them from this move, Shepherd responded in the negative. In fact, he explained that this matter is against the Government of Guyana, irrespective of which party rules. “We [are] not looking at party and politics, we are looking at a bread and butter issue. We don’t want to lose a next pensioner before they collect the rightful pension,” he explained.
Executive member of the association, David Wallace pointed out the importance of these monies to the pensioners, explaining that most of these retired persons have become ill and cannot afford proper healthcare.
“We are treated with scorn. Only an uncaring Government would not want to pay what is due to us. Many of us are sick and on special medication, many have died and the rest are still suffering with hope that they will be paid,” he said.
The executive member added that the Government is continuing to paint a bad image of themselves to investors with this particular situation, as many may fear to invest in the country due to their fear of how they might be treated later on.
Against this backdrop, the Union members have declared that the Finance Ministry must stop dragging its feet on this matter and find the monies owed to these pensioners within a two-month timeframe.
When the GTC was privatised in 1990, the workers who stayed on under GTT were promised that they would be paid their benefits when they retired from the telecommunications giant – an Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) majority-owned company – as if they were in the public service.
However, those former GTC/GTT workers who retired after years of service under both companies are still trying to get their correct outstanding entitlement.
Over the years, GTC/GTT pensioners received a mere $22,000 instead of a minimum of $90,000 or a maximum of $700,000 in accordance with their last salary base. According to the pensioners, although the Finance Ministry had adjusted the rates back in 2017, it was still inadequate to what they are actually entitled to.