-meeting set for August 4th

THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has accepted government’s invitation to meet and start negotiations for the 2017 increase in wages and salaries for public servants. However, the GPSU has called on the administration to first conclude the 2016 negotiations before moving forward to this year’s.
Government had offered to grant an increase of 10 per cent for persons earning below $99, 000 in August 2016 but it was rejected by the union and a one-off bonus of $25,000 was given to public servants at the end of the year.
“We were invited on August 4, 2017 to start negotiations for 2017 but we must remember that 2016 is still on the table and must be completed,” said Vice President of the GPSU, Mortimer Livan at a press conference at the union’s office on Wednesday.
He said the decision to start discussions for 2017 is a “slap in the face” as it relates to the commitment of President David Granger, who had pointed out that the negotiation is not at an impasse. In September 2017, during one of his Public Interest programmes, President Granger had said that the government’s offer in 2016 was not a final one that the negotiations are “incomplete.”
“The President promised us that the Ministries of Finance and the Presidency will notify us about the arrangements to continue the negotiations for 2016 but it never came through,” lamented Livan.
In seeking redress from the President, the union has written to the Ministry of the Presidency with hope of having the 2016 negotiations addressed before moving to 2017.
The outcome of the 2016 negotiations is pertinent to the 2017 discussions, said the union’s Vice President, while adding that they have already submitted a proposal for increases for 2016, 2017 and 2018. A $7,000 per month –January to December 2017– was proposed to be added to the salary at December 31, 2016, and to minimum and maximum bands. In addition, a 20% increase across the board to the salary as at December 2016, to the amount payable at the minimum and maximum bands.

For year three, January to December 2018 it was proposed that there should be a flat increase of $9,000 per month added to the salary at December 31, 2017. Also, a 20% increase across-the-board to the salary as at December 2017, of each person employed in the public sector.
“By 2018 we want to have what we call a living wage or a basket of necessities…so we have to achieve the minimum wage,” said Livan.