Opposition Leader Joe Harmon this afternoon responded to President Irfan Ali’s early morning statement which justified the Government’s imposition of the 7% increase for public servants.
In defending the increase, the President said public servants are better off under the current government than they were under the previous one.
Opposition Leader Joe Harmon who served as Minister of State under the APNU+AFC government said the President could not be serious with such a position.
“So when you give a worker 7% increase and the prices in the market have risen at least 3% above that, you actually can see what you getting and so the 7% over two years, really equates to 3.5% a year, so all of those increases have eaten out, every cent,” the Opposition Leader said.
The Opposition Leader has maintained his earlier position that private sector businesses are the real beneficiaries of the government and not public servants.
Mr. Harmon said the 7% increase does not match up to the boasting of the President and his government that Guyana is among the fastest-growing economy in the world. He said the government may be attempting to drive workers away from the public service by offering low increases and poor working conditions.
The Opposition Leader said the Government cannot ignore the concerns of the trade unions and the public servants who have all criticized the 7% increase.
The Opposition leader said that the President’s explanation of what is taking place in other parts of the world cannot be compared to the situation in Guyana.
The President explained that many countries have not increased their salaries in years while others have put the salary of their public servants on hold due to the pandemic.
But the Opposition Leader contended the economic and functional system in those countries can help workers sustain themselves.
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