Gov’t considering salary package for public servants
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan

GOVERNMENT intends on working with unions to create a total salary package for public servants, instead of granting incremental increases.

Over the years, Government has been granting yearly salary increases to public servants, but this is a tradition, which Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan said Government is hoping to change.

“What we want to do going forward is work with the unions on a total package, so you will know where your salaries will be rather than the yearly story,” said Minister Jordan during an interview on the National Communication’s Network’s ‘Insight’ Programme on the Voice of Guyana, on Saturday.

Basically, the minister said they will create, for instance, a five-year plan which will show the required increase instead of announcing it yearly.

“We want to hope that we would not have to go through it every year… but we want to set something you could look forward to, something once you have produced and you were appraised, you could get,” said the minister.

In the interim, going forward, he said there will most likely be an election, but once that is over Government will be up and running right away.
Jordan said they will get straight into business and public servants can expect a bigger salary increase than what they will get in 2019.

In looking at salaries and benefits, Government also intends on ensuring that there is equity among the regions.
He encouraged persons to be more concerned about having a proper and decent wage instead of what their bonus would be.

“They have to make certain that they do not give up the fight to get a good, decent salary because pension is based on salary not bonus,” said Jordan, adding that pensions will be something to value.

Government’s intention is to address the pension which retired public servants receive, said Jordan. There are public servants whose pensions were decimated in the 80s and 90s with the constant devaluations. He said there are General Managers who retired and their pensions are minimal.

“We would like to see something happen,” said Minister Jordan, adding that the retired public servants deserve a better pension.
Jordan had said that negotiations have already begun for salary increases for teachers and other public servants.

“They can look forward again this year, to a salary increase. We’re already in negotiations with the teachers. The President has set up a high-level committee on the public service, to look into issues, particularly the wages and allowances of public servants.
“So, we are hoping that can be concluded in time for the figures to get into the next budget,” the minister said during a press briefing early July.

“Our people can look forward to improved benefits, whether they are in the social sector or educational sector, and at the personal level as we go into 2020,” said the minister.
Last year Jordan presented a $300.7 Billion Budget for the year 2019, an increase of 12.6 per cent from 2018.

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