Salary increases negotiation: NAACIE to serve GPL 1-month ultimatum over salary deadlock

The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) said that it will be serving a one-month ultimatum to the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) after salary negotiations talk have broken down.
The union explained that it had submitted a proposal to GPL with regards to increases in wages and salary and other benefits for employees and the first meeting between the two sides was held on September 27.
From Friday, December 13, 2024, to today, December 18, 2024, there has been no official response from GPL regarding workers’ demands, prompting NAACIE’s Executive and Members to take decisive action.

In light of public servants including teachers and sugar workers receiving a 10 per cent across the board salary increase for this year, NAACIE is calling on GPL to comply with the salary increase pronouncement made by the President Dr Irfaan Ali.
NAACIE pointed out that its agreement with GPL covers a three percent Annual Automatic in Scale Increment that is to avoid de-bunching and be paid in January every year based on conditions. Additionally, it has an annual performance incentive which is a one-off payment as well as an across-the-board increase.
But at a meeting on December 13, NAACIE said GPL offered a seven percent all-inclusive increase which will include the annual performance incentive and the three percent annual automatic in scale increment which was already paid in January 2024.
As such, NAACIE said its representatives were left in total shock and rejected the offer. NAACIE said it demanded the 10% across-the-board increase as was announced.
However, NAACIE said GPL indicated that they cannot agree to that, and the meeting concluded.
In a statement today, the union said to date, there has been no further communication from GPL and as such, it has been instructed by its members to serve the power company a one-month ultimatum.
Meanwhile, in his last public interaction with media operatives, the Union’s General Secretary, Dawchan Nagasar shared that the three per cent increase GPL’s provided earlier in the year as part of the Annual Automatic in Scale Increment was not across the board, and therefore many workers were left without that increase.
“The GPL is claiming that there is a three per cent automatic increment that was paid in January. That is an in-scale movement. That has nothing to do with a crisis reward. The President also announced in-scale movements for public sectors. That has nothing to do with a crisis reward.”
He added “Our understanding is that the Government will provide the money for the 10 per cent. So even if they have other reasons, the point is the Government is giving you the money to pay the 10 per cent.”
In this regard the General Secretary noted that workers are not willing to compromise and accept the seven per cent pay hike. He noted that the union will take the necessary actions to ensure that workers receive a 10 per cent pay increase just like all other public servants.
“They are not going to back down and accept the seven per cent. They are demanding that they get the 10 per cent and they will go all lengths out to do it. Whatever action we need to take after this, the workers will do that.”
“When we break from here, then we will decide the next move forward. But in the meantime, we would like the authorities, which is the Government, the president, the Vice President, to intervene and ensure that we get the 10 per cent that they offered to the people of Guyana,” he said at the time. (G1)