By Ariana Gordon

THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has formally written the Government of Guyana, rejecting its final offer of 10 per cent pay increase for the lowest tier of public servants and calling on President David Granger to conduct his own research into what represents “a living wage” here.Speaking with Guyana Chronicle on Monday night, President of the GPSU, Patrick Yarde, said his union is “undoubtedly firm about the rejection” of the 10 per cent “final offer”. He noted that the lowest tier of public servants would not be provided with a “living wage” when a 10 per cent increase is added to their already meagre salaries.

“I want to believe that the President is sincere about bringing some kind of justice and fairness…but I feel…it is my view that what is there on the table is grossly inadequate. He ought to move a bit away from advice…the President is a researcher. I appeal to him to go deeper into the reality and justify himself if the advice that he may be getting is consistent with his own judgment of what is not only adequate, but what is affordable,” the veteran trade unionist said.

The APNU-AFC coalition government has said its differentiated offer of increases to public servants is final. It is offering 10 percent increase to persons earning $99,000 or less; 6 per cent to persons who earn between $100,000 and $299,000; five per cent to earners of between $300,000 and $799,000; two per cent to those earning between $800,000 and $999,000; and 1 per cent to those earning above $1M.

Yarde argues that affordability and sustainability have to be looked at together. As such, the GPSU has requested that government provides the turnover rate within the public service for 2013, 2014 and 2015; as well as state publicly its policy position on paying public servants a “living wage.”

Based on the research done by the GPSU, its president believes that the government can well afford to provide the increase the GPSU has requested. “We have done research across the country…we have looked at the basket of necessities…the prevailing prices and statutory obligations,” he told Guyana Chronicle, even as he explained that the Union’s findings were submitted to non-governmental organisations and the private sector for review — all of whom said its request is reasonable.

The Union has proposed three years of salary increases, effective January 1, 2016. The Union proposes a flat increase of $7,500 added to the salaries of public servants at December 31, 2015, as well as to the amount payable at the minimum and maximum of each of the bands — 1 to 14 — of the Schedule of Salary in the Public Service; a 25 per cent increase across-the-board to the salaries of all public servants, as well as the amount payable at the minimum and maximum of each of the bands 1 to 14.

For 2017, the union proposes a flat increase of $7,000 added to the salaries of public servants at the end of December 2016, along with the amount payable at the minimum and maximum of each band. Additionally, a 20 per cent increase across-the-board on all salaries as at December 2016, coupled with the amount payable at the minimum and maximum of each of the 14 bands.

The GPSU recommends that, in 2018, a flat increase of $9,000 be added to the salaries at the end of the previous year, as well as the amount payable at the minimum and maximum of each band. A 20 per cent across the board has also been recommended for 2018.

Referring to the unused $6B allocated under the “other employment costs” heading in the 2016 budget, Yarde made it clear that the sum could very well go towards the payment of a decent increase for public servants. He also called on the government to change the heading, noting that it creates an avenue for public distrust.

“As explained already, the Mid-Year Report has shown the $6B that is there for other employment costs, which previously the head was ‘revision of wages and salaries’, that was the head; and after we exposed the modality that was taking place with that money, the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) changed the head from ‘revision of wages and salaries’ to ‘other employment costs’. Our position is that it should change back to revision of wages and salaries,” Yarde asserted.

He said it is imperative that the government be clear, so as not to compromise allocations that are put aside for improvement in earnings. “It must not be encumbered by anything else. Once you start encumbering, it will create an atmosphere of distrust.”

The GPSU head said government must clearly and definitively put aside what it can afford in the budget to address the inadequacy of salaries. “It must have no other feature in it,” declared Yarde.

He does not feel that the Union’s request of the government is unreasonable, noting that the figures cited are based on “credible information.”

Bad faith
Asked to comment on accusations that the government negotiated in bad faith, Yarde said he is not of that opinion; but he disclosed that an official of the Ministry of Finance, whom he deems to be a politician, is peddling misinformation about the Union’s struggle for better wages and salaries in 1999.

“I don’t want to generalise the government, but there was an official there who was very dishonest…I would not paint the government with a broad brush. There were decent people who were speaking with us, but there was a political official that said our struggle in 1999 caused 6,000 workers to lose their jobs. I was upset; it was said in this negotiation…an officer from the Ministry of Finance.”

That notwithstanding, the GPSU President made it clear that the Union’s bargaining position is evidence-based and the body is hopeful that “minds open up and there is a review of the position.”

Yarde said that, like many other people, he wanted a change of government; a change from what had obtained under the PPP. “So I am disappointed, as a Union and for a person who struggled so hard, [because of] the attention that is being given to us. I am very disappointed.”

Asked what role the Commission of Inquiry in the Public Service played in government’s final offer, Yarde said he does not think it had a significant influence on government’s position. “I don’t know they used it as a yardstick…we will approach it with an open mind. We went with an open mind to hear what the government had to say,” he said, noting that even if government does not budge, his Union would “exercise judgment and determine an action.”

Go ahead
President David Granger said on Thursday that his administration would go ahead with the payment of the 10 per cent increase, even as he committed to continuing talks with the GPSU. On his weekly televised programme ‘The Public Interest’, President Granger said 10 per cent is all his government can offer at this stage. He noted that his administration is in the process of preparing the 2017 budget that is to be presented in December.

The President said government’s final offer is as a result of the overwhelming amount of indebtedness that exits. “I am not saying that the public servants do not deserve more, but we did everything that is possible…we entered into negotiations in good faith…we haven’t discontinued negotiations, but that is the final offer we put on the table because we have to prepare next year’s budget and we have to tidy up this business before the next quarter,” President Granger told reporters.

Yarde, who told Guyana Chronicle that he did not hear the President’s statement, said: “If he did say that…I would be most disappointed.” He acknowledged meeting with the President recently, but said “the meeting wasn’t called for negotiations.”