Despite mounting calls by the Guyana Public Service Union for a meeting with President Irfaan Ali to discuss increases in wages, salaries and allowances for public servants, the President today declared that the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Ministry are most ideal to engage the union.

Public Servants have not received a pay increase since 2019, and despite the rising cost of living, there were no provisions in the two budgets presented by the Irfaan Ali administration to butter up the salaries of the country’s almost 40,000 public servants.

The President is assuring, however, that before the year ends, public servants will receive a salary increase.

“But as I said we are committed to increases for the public servants and that commitment will be fulfilled before the end of the year,” the President assured during a press conference today.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Public Service rejected a request by the GPSU to meet within a stipulated timeframe on wage negotiations.

The move forced the union to write to the Trade Union Recognition Board for the government to be sanctioned.

The union argued that the Ministry’s stance amounts to a pellucid and perpetual refusal to negotiate with the representative of the workers in the public service and signals blatant disrespect for all public servants.

The union has explained that in keeping with Clause 6 of the legally binding Agreement for the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes between it and the Government of Guyana, a number of letters were written during the period September 1, 2020, and July 7, 2021, addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Public Service, requesting the commencement of negotiations for wages, salaries and allowances for the years 2020 and 2021.

There has been no favourable response

Related posts:

GPSU seeks audience with government for start of salary negotiations for public servants President Granger announces Increase in Salary and Allowances for Public Servants Public Servants to get salary increases ranging from 0.5% to 7% for 2018 GPSU rejects Government’s initial salary increase offer for public servants