Frustrated GPSU unhappy with prolonged negotiations for public servants salaries

"There has been a peculiar development in our situation. The Government negotiator in the agreement that we have signed is the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service and that position is vacant. Before it was vacant, we couldn't get meetings and I wrote the President of the frustrations that we have been having to have a meeting to discuss conditions of service for public servants", Yarde explained. 

Frustrated GPSU unhappy with prolonged negotiations for public servants salaries

The President of the Guyana Public Service Union, Patrick Yarde, today expressed his union’s frustration with the prolonged negotiations with government to address the working conditions and salaries for public servants.

At a mid-morning press conference, Mr. Yarde complained that the concerns of the union do not appear to be getting much attention from the government. He revealed that the Government’s point man for the negotiations was the Permanent Secretary for the Public Service Department, Reginald Brotherson, and he has since retired. A replacement is still to be named

“There has been a peculiar development in our situation. The Government negotiator in the agreement that we have signed is the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service and that position is vacant. Before it was vacant, we couldn’t get meetings and I wrote the President of the frustrations that we have been having to have a meeting to discuss conditions of service for public servants”, Yarde explained.

He said the union is not happy with the state of the negotiations and is even more unhappy that once again the negotiations are being drawn out to the end of the year.

“The practice continues, where the government frustrates these negotiations till the end of the year. We are very unhappy that the practice continues. We were given the assurance that, that would cease, but it continues”.

Mr. Yarde said the union has already submitted a three-year proposal to the government but has not heard back from the administration and its not clear when the negotiations will resume.

The GPSU President said he intends to take the issue to the wider membership of the union and its General Council for them to come up with a plan to ensure the issue is addressed.

The union will meet with its membership later this week.

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