-GPSU demands leave, vacation allowance

AROUND 30 sweeper/cleaners on Tuesday morning staged a protest in front of the Ministry of the Presidency, calling for an increase in their salaries and also clamouring for other benefits, such as leave allowance.

The group, which comprised females only, was led by the Guyana Public Service Union

(GPSU) which was headed by first Vice President, Mortimer Livan. The cleaners were calling for, among other things, salary increases and to be put as permanent staff which would allow them to qualify for annual leave and a vacation allowance. Chants of “no money, dutty school” and “pay us more” echoed along the busy area that is Vlissengen Road, where the group of middle-aged women marched with their placards.

One protestor who identified herself as Ms. Khan, told the Guyana Chronicle that for the month of July she was only paid GYD $1,000. She said that for that month, she was only asked to work four days since the month marked the end of the academic year.
“School close and we don’t have work and before it close is only four days of work we get. I get $1000 for the four days” she said, adding that she has two children in high school to provide for.

Ms. Khan said too, that she hopes to be added as a permanent staff on the Ministry of Education’s payroll from September, since most, if not all of the protestors there were only being offered part-time work. “I hope to get put as a fixed staff to get all that is required for permanent staff” she added.
Another woman who did not want to be identified by name, shared that she has been working as a cleaner with the Government of Guyana for over 21 years and has never benefitted from leave.

She went on to state that it is unfair for her to be offering her services for such a long period without benefitting from leave or a leave allowance. “I working as a cleaner under the government for 21 years and I never get leave. I need leave and I need my vacation money. I’d like to be permanent and get my leave and vacation money. Is unfair to me. They putting people in office who don’t know to run properly” the disheartened woman said.

According to VP Livan at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the cleaners are being paid for six hours per day at a rate of $312 per hour. Also, no National Insurance Scheme (NIS) payment is made for the workers which will deny them, in their latter days, benefits the state has to offer.

Previously, the cleaners were working eight hours per day, but according to one of the women, a decision was made at the Ministry to reduce it to six hours. This amount, when totaled, is below the public servant’s minimum wage, which was adjusted to $50,000 per month. This practice goes contrary to a Cabinet decision which was made on November 5, 2003, for sweepers and cleaners to have wages set in accordance with the minimum wage order of the country and for those payments to be made in a timely manner.

The trade unionist said that while the decision was never implemented by the former administration, it was supported by President David Granger while he was Opposition Leader. On August 31, 2015, the matter was against raised with the President who referred it to then Minister of Social Protection with responsibility for Labour, Volda Lawrence.
A statement was presented to the then minister outlining the Union’s position.

Some of the recommendations were for: the status of the cleaners to be upgraded; they be employed on the Permanent Establishment; they be paid in keeping with the Public Servant Minimum Wage regime; NIS should be paid; and that they must be granted annual leave, retroactive to at least two years, among others.

Livan said that while it was expected that these recommendations would have been considered and conditions would have improved for the cleaners, it did not. In fact, he said that at a meeting on August 4, 2017, they were informed that the hours of work for the cleaners would be reduced from eight to six, daily. In addition, the workers were informed by their respective head-teachers that they would only be paid for two weeks in July and one in August. Most of the cleaners present at the press conference admitted that they received as low as $6, 000 for July, while one person said she received $1, 000.

And according to the Union’s VP, “the situation is developing further into an economic disaster for the workers and their families.” He said that with no other source of income, they are reliant on the already meagre income paid by the government and they depend on it being sufficient to meet their very basic domestic needs. The trade unionist further added that, “…the action taken to reduce their wages is heartless and these decisions are being made without any consideration for the plight already facing them”.

Given these circumstances, the union made a call for the relevant authorities to immediately examine and rectify the situation which they described as “economically challenging”.