THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has written Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, in hope of resolving a problem that has been dogging the public sector for years.

The matter at reference has to do with the low wages being paid sweeper-cleaners in the sector, said to be “way below the minimum wage”.

GPSU President, Patrick Yarde, told a press conference yesterday that the reason the union took the course of action it did was because nothing seemed to be happening, even after being engaged in a series of consultations with President David Granger and key ministers of the government.

As such, it was felt that writing the minister on the matter would help serve as a reminder of the injustices being meted out to these workers, who have been playing a critical role in keeping the environment of public buildings clean.

FOR YEARS
“We have been pursuing the sweeper- cleaner issue for several years,” he said, “and felt relief when it was reported in a press conference by Dr. Roger Luncheon that a Cabinet decision was taken to correct this injustice; and that, effective from July 2013, sweeper-cleaners would be recognised with the Public Service, consistent with International Labour Organisation guidelines.”

To help the new administration have a better grasp of the importance of correcting this flaw, which was developed under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Yarde said the Union would have submitted the outstanding implementation of the Cabinet’s decision to President Granger in its first correspondence.
In that missive, Yarde said, it was explained to President Granger that, under the previous administration, a decision was taken at the level of Cabinet to upgrade the status of sweeper-cleaners.

FOLLOW-UPS
Yarde said that, subsequent to a meeting with the President, there were several other follow-up meetings with members of the APNU+AFC government.
Over time, he said, the GPSU would have met with Finance Minister Winston Jordan; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Social Protection Minister, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Industry and Business, Dominic Gaskin; and the Social Cohesion Minister, Amna Alley.
But it was all to no avail, he said.

“It is disturbing and of serious concern to the Union, at what appears to be a reluctance to correct this situation and put an end to this (abusive) and most unfair treatment of this category of workers.

“I genuinely felt that this matter would have been resolved a while ago, and it hurts to think of these workers experiencing another Christmas of discontent.

“And this situation prevails apparently because of the unwillingness of strategic elements in the Administration, (who) are uncaring for these workers and (are) shortsighted in not recognising the implications for the young potential students whose school lives would be in an environment entrusted to these workers.”

In the letter to Minister Sharma, dated December 17, 2015, Yarde called for the status of these employees to be upgraded, noting too that they must be employed on the permanent establishment and paid in keeping with the Public Service minimum wage.

Though uncertain of the number of sweeper-cleaners his union has on its roll, Yarde said he knows for certain that in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), there are 113.

Another concern of his is that though these sweeper-cleaners were contracted to work six hours a day, they often work eight hours. This being the case, he feels that, by right, they ought to be paid in full.

He said that even after the government had announced in the 2015 Budget that this category of employee would be paid at a rate of $312 per hour, sweeper-cleaners are still receiving less than $202 per hour. And this is in spite of the National Minimum Wage Order taking effect on July 1, 2013 and stipulating that every person employed in Guyana shall be paid no less than $202 per hour.

It’s a point, Yarde said, he belaboured in his letter to the minister. “They must be paid the difference in salary,” he wrote, “with effect from the introduction of the minimum wage, i.e. July 1, 2013, since they were short-paid… and must be granted annual leave, which must also be retroactive for at least two years.”

He also pointed out in the letter that because sweeper-cleaners are not considered permanent employees but rather contractual employees, they have not been paying NIS.

Noting that this oversight has to be corrected, Yarde said he told the minister in his letter: “NIS must be paid for these employees. However, an investigation must be conducted, and correction be made so that all employees must be able to benefit from a NIS pension at the time of retirement.”

As the GPSU awaits a response from Minister Sharma, Yarde made it clear that the union would not “give up the struggle”, and hopes that good sense will prevail.