Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo fired back at the Opposition today over its criticism of the 10% salary agreement reached between the Government and the Guyana Public Service Union. The agreement also covers an 8% increase for 2025.

The opposition People’s National Congress has stated that the across the board increase will only further widen the pay gap in the public service, since those at the top end will benefit far more than those at the lower end of the public service.

In response to the criticism, the Vice President said his Government is offering public servants much more than the APNU+AFC did when it was in government.  

“You got 5% in 2015, 6% in 2016, 6% in 2017, 6.5% in 2018 and 8.5% in 2019. Those were the years, the five years. So, that gave you an accumulative sum of about 36% increase in the five years, if you are earning $200,000 in the public sector. So, guess what? In the five years your salary increases were less than the 50% that the ministers took three months after they got into office,” the Vice President pointed out. 

Mr. Jagdeo said while the Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, is complaining about the President’s monthly salary of $2.9 Million and the 10% that will be added to that retroactively, he has failed to mention that his own salary and allowances as Opposition Leader.

In defense of his Government, the Vice President said since 2020, the Public Sector wage bill has increased by $83.9B. 

He explained that in 2020, the wage bill for the Public Sector, which includes Central Government, public enterprises and statutory bodies, was $126.8B. Today, it is $210.7B per annum, representing a 66% increase. He did not however indicate what triggered the growth.

“The wage bill for Central government aspect in 2020 was $71.8B. Today, in 2024, with the 10% increase, it will be $121.4B. So, that is a growth of $49.6B more per year for only those who work in central government. In public enterprises, the wage bill was $16.1B in 2020, it is now $24B – a $7.9B increase, which represents a 49% increase in wages. The statutory bodies, the wage bill was $38.9B, it is now $65.2B,” the Vice President explained. 

He said when the 8% increase is added in 2025, the public sector wage bill will jump to $227B. 

Jagdeo said this means that public sector workers are now getting a $100B more annually than they were getting in 2020. 

“They are saying that is a pittance. A $100B more increase per year, from a $126B in 2020 to a $227B in 2025, it will be when we add the 8%. So, if that is a pittance for them, I don’t know what is,” the Vice President said. 

The Vice President said the salaries being offered in the public service are now more competitive, adding that the Government has noticed many private sector workers transitioning to the public service.

The Guyana Public Service Union has said the agreement with the Government is a step in the right direction, although it might not be ideal.

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