GPSU moves to conciliation over Public Service wages and salary dispute

"In this regard, the Union takes the opportunity to restate its position that the employer’s expressed 'final offer' is unreasonable and unacceptable and to state further that it considers the matter deadlocked since the September 14, 2016 between teams representing the Government of Guyana negotiators and the GPSU", the union said.

GPSU moves to conciliation over Public Service wages and salary dispute

With the Guyana Government not budging from its 10% to 1% salary increase offer to public servants, the union representing the interest of the nation’s public servants, the GPSU is moving to conciliation and has informed the Chief Labour Officer of the decision.

In a statement, the GPSU said the matter has not evolved into a dispute and it is ready to go to the next step. 

“In this regard, the Union takes the opportunity to restate its position that the employer’s expressed ‘final offer’ is unreasonable and unacceptable and to state further that it considers the matter deadlocked since the September 14, 2016 between teams representing the Government of Guyana negotiators and the GPSU”, the union said. 

The Government of Guyana has been saying that the offer it made is “final” and it cannot afford a higher increase at this moment. Government intends to impose the offer from October wit retroactive payments dating back to January, 2016.

But the GPSU believes that any imposition by the APNU+AFC administration will be taking the public service back to the days under the former PPP government when impositions were done annually.

Union officials have stated that the negotiations with government started so that the two sides could arrive at an agreed position and not for one side to make any final offer.

The GPSU has indicated that it is seriously concerned “over the seeming insensitivity and absence of a sense of urgency on the part of the employer in dealing with the various other outstanding associated with public servants’ emoluments including de-bunching, increments and allowances. In this latter regard the Executive Council took a decision that the Government of Guyana be written to with regard to these matters with a view to having them dealt with expeditiously.”

The Union said it is also concerned that  the government appears to be reneging on its commitment to have separate negotiations for wages, salaries and allowance for semi-autonomous agencies.

It said “this position is based on information reaching the Union that what is being implemented in the Public Service is also being applied in semi-autonomous agencies.”

 

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