THOUGH in support of Government’s move to increase wages for ministers, parliamentarians and other government officials, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has said the process in which it is administered is not consistent increases for public servants.“We believe in a wage-led economy, and we can’t believe in a wage-led economy and condemn the increase. We are not against the increase in wages or salaries. What we are concerned about in the process in which it has been applied to deliver it,” disclosed General Secretary of GTUC, Lincoln Lewis, at a press briefing yesterday.

He said that Government had denied that such an increase was on its agenda. “You have said two months ago that it is not on the cards. Now it is on the cards (and) you have a responsibility to come back and tell people that it is on the cards. You have a right to come back and tell citizens,” Lewis proclaimed.

Lewis is contending that the process should have been consistent with that of the public servants, given that salary increases for public servants was not fluently delivered, compared to the increase in salaries for government officials.

The minimum basic salary of each public servant was increased to $50,000, which took effect from July 1.

“I believe no justification has been given for the increase. It was not properly packaged and sold, but we do not see the increase in wages and salaries as something negative; it is just the process in which it is delivered we are concerned about,” Lewis has said.

The trade unionist said that the process was “non-compliant” because there was no bargaining process between Government and trade unions. He suggested that this should have started prior to Government’s move to increase salaries for officials.

“You (Government) said you are going to have collective bargaining with the trade unions, but you have not started the process. Instead, you have added increases,” Lewis said, while charging that Government has not included the unions in the public domain.

Though Minister of State Joseph Harmon has justified the increase as one to avoid corrupt practices that the former administration would have been involved in during its 23 years of governance, Lewis said the Trade Union does not “buy the argument”.

“There must be systems put in place to ensure that persons who are in government declare their assets. I don’t buy the argument,” Lewis has said.

Four days ago, Harmon said that all ministers and other officials would be required to sign a code of conduct that would preclude this current administration from repeating the mistakes made by the former administration.

The Prime Minister will now receive an income of $20,580,000 per annum, while every vice president, with the exception of the Prime Minister, will receive an income of $11,135,065 per annum. On a monthly basis, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is in line to receive approximately $1.7M, while the vice presidents will receive approximately $927,000.

Additionally, cabinet members would receive $10,439,124 annually, or approximately $869,927 monthly; while junior ministers are in line to receive approximately $695,000 monthly, or $8,346,492 per annum.

(By Shivanie Sugrim)