The Government of Guyana has started salary negotiations with the Guyana Public Service Union and the GPSU has already rejected the government’s initial offer.

On Monday, Union representatives met with officials of the Public Service Department to start looking at salary increases for 2017.

The government made an offer similar to last year’s offer.

Last year’s offer saw workers earning below $99,000 getting a 10% increase while those working above would get an increase between 1% and 6% based on their income.   The union rejected the offer last year and has done the same this time around.

The Permanent Secretary at the Public Service Department, Reginald Brotherson, said the Government can only give an offer that the economy can afford at this point in time. He said the union has now promised to resubmit its own proposals, but he hopes that the union will reconsider the offer from government.

The Permanent Secretary noted also that the two sides have agreed to start looking at allowances in a general way, particularly those allowances that have not been changed for almost three decades.

The GPSU believes whatever increases are offered for public servants should be across the board and much higher than the 10% and 1 to 6% being offered. The two sides are likely to meet again next week.

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