Several Region 10 sweeper/cleaners still being paid below minimum wage

Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) officials are currently seeking to have all sweeper/cleaners attached to public schools in the region paid the minimum wage across the board.
The issue was, for the second time in recent months, raised at the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) statutory meeting, where it was highlighted that some workers are yet to be paid the minimum wage of $64,200.
Sweeper/cleaners in Region 10 had just last year welcomed a decision by Government to have their positions regularised consequent to a review of their hours of work. Following this, approval had been granted for them to be paid the then minimum rate of $312 per hour, which has since been increased to $370.4 per hour, the present minimum wage.
It was, however, noted that in some cases the hours of work varied between the nursery, primary and secondary workers, and some were yet to be brought up to standard. It was noted that while some workers are being paid the minimum wage, others are yet to receive same.
During the statutory meeting, Councillor Charles Sampson noted that he was informed that the sweeper/cleaners were given a new work schedule which would see them working for nine hours (from 07:00-16:00) with an hour set aside for lunch, which would result in eight hours of work. He accordingly sought to ascertain if the workers were receiving the appropriate minimum wage of $64,200 monthly.
Responding, Regional Chairman Renis Morian noted that he had received from one of the agencies a package stating that the RDC is supposed to do a number of things in relation to the payment of the workers. Morian said there needs to be correlation between the ministries to effect movement for the payments to be made. He then questioned Deputy Regional Education Officer (DREO) Maylene Stephen, who noted that the Council is currently paying according to the prescribed rate of $312 per hour.
Stephen noted that more money would definitely be needed to move in the direction of increasing remuneration.
“I know the Personnel Department engaged the cleaners and the sweepers in relation to this, but they are not getting the $64,200,” she noted.
Morian stressed that the matter needs to engage the attention of the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Ministry, the Education Minister and the Financial Secretary of the Finance Ministry, in moving forward. He said a letter to effect change would be prepared and copied to these persons.
According to Councillor Sampson, the $312 per hour which some cleaners are receiving is equivalent to $54,000 monthly, which he said is totally wrong if the workers are working for eight hours. He argued that the rate should be $370.4 per hour, to bring the workers up to the minimum wage.
He added that the issue was raised since the previous statutory meeting, and needs to be fixed. Sampson pointed out that when the workers worked for six hours, their payments were accurate according to calculations. However, if they are not paid accordingly now, it would constitute a violation of the Government’s minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Councillor Douglas Gittens said temporary workers attached to nursery schools had complained of receiving far less pay, but he noted that they were expected to increase their hours to normal working hours, to be regularised and receive the payment.
“We want this thing fixed like yesterday, so a number of things got to happen. When that letter is written, the money got to be released… If the money is not released, you can say, ‘Pay them whatever’, they won’t be paid…and it’s easy for somebody to say, ‘Yes, I okayed the payment’. That is one Ministry, but it’s that same Ministry our budget does go to, and if you ain’t make a strong recommendation for that money to increase, the people ain’t gon get paid,” Gittens said.
Prior to the regularisation of sweeper/cleaners, there had been countrywide protests by the workers. Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Regional Representative Maurice Butters had also made several calls for all of the Region’s sweeper/cleaners to be brought up to scratch and paid the public service minimum wage.