GPSU calls Govt. to the table for pay negotiations
Not Rehanna Ramsay
The main board of the GPSU press conference yesterday.
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is calling on the Government to initiate unpaid negotiations for higher wages, salaries and allowances for 2020 and 2021 for public service workers.
During a media conference held at its headquarters yesterday, GPSU officials revealed, on March 11, 2021, that a letter had been sent to the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Public Services (PSM), Ms Soyinka Grogan, to remind the government of its obligation to begin the negotiations.
According to the GPSU, a copy of the correspondence was sent to the President, Irfaan Ali; First Minister, Mark Phillips; Senior Minister in the President’s Office with responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh; and Minister for the Public Service, Ms Sonia Parag.
Dawn Gardner, Second Vice President of the GPSU, noted that discussions were needed as part of the Memorandum of Agreement between the GPSU and the Government for the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes.
According to Gardner, the Union had since September 1, 2020 submitted proposals to Government, but at the only meeting held on November 4, 2020 between Union representatives and a Government delegation led by the Minister of Public Services, Ms. Parag, the Union was told that the Minister had no mandate to discuss the issue of wages, salaries and allowances with the GPSU.
Gardener said, after that, the GPSU submitted on February 3, 2021, extensive proposals to consider for inclusion in the 2021 Budget.
He said the Union, however, had not been invited by the Senior Minister in the President’s Office with responsibility for Finance to air these proposals, which were considered a departure from commitment before and after elections by the administration for inclusion.
“At this time, we would like to make it clear that one of the employer’s (Government) duties is to ensure that the employee’s self-esteem and dignity are protected at all times. No full-time employee, whether in the public or private sector, should be forced by his employer to live in poverty as experienced in Guyana’s public service.
Wages that put the employee out of poverty deprive the employer of a motivated worker and correspondingly the quality of service that the employer expects and deserves from the public who eat it. Poverty robs the worker and his family of their self-esteem, their right to dignity and a decent life. These deficiencies are the root causes of undesirable developments in society and any enlightened government should ensure that such unpleasant social events do not occur, ”Gardner asserted.
Aware of the above and wishing to reach a well-deserved standard of living for public service workers, he said that in 2008 the GPSU built a basket of goods and services expenditures necessary to provide the basic needs of food for the average person, a refuge transportation, among others.
“This has been periodically reviewed as the benchmark when pursuing GPSU’s living wage as a public service worker’s basic payment. However, the minimum wage resulting from this exercise is not paid by the government. The GPSU requires that the minimum wage of a public servant must be a living wage, ”he continued.
A GPSU official also pointed out that since January 2019, public service workers have not experienced any increase in earnings, which is more than two years ago.
He said public servants have gone through the whole of 2020 without progress. “In addition, they have not been subject to a variety of other encounters with no reliefs given to the hardship they experience, or difficult economic circumstances they have suffered despite increased revenue in Wales.” government funds during this time. This was disclosed in the 2021. Current and Capital Revenue and Expenditure Estimates. The revenue referred to above is separate and distinct from the revenue received from the oil proceeds, ”explained Gardner.
He also said GPSU had proposed in the budget for reducing the rate of taxes paid by individuals (PAYE). A GPSU official that was also presented in his budget proposals for 2021 revealed that the tax threshold should be $ 120,000.00.
“It’s hard to understand why there has been no reduction in taxes and why company taxes are at a flat rate of 25 per cent, below PAYE’s lowest level of 28 per cent and increasing to 40 per cent after the next $ 120,000, overall extra earnings, ”Gardner chose.
He also noted that those workers, especially frontline, at-risk, life-threatening workers, in hospitals, airports, ports, and in locations with similar exposures, were subjected to these encounters with insensitive responses to their conscience in the performance of their duties.
He added “The GPSU would pursue that the government would pay a risk allowance with effect from at least March 2020.”
Other issues raised on behalf of public servants, Gardner said, were issues related to de-crewing and payment of increments, office reorganization sufficient to provide for social isolation, the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to all staff. members, who at least require daily quotas of cleansers and face masks.