WHILE sweeper-cleaners across Guyana have been regularised and should be receiving a rate of $312.00 per hour, for eight hours a day, those attached to nursery schools in Region 10 are the exception. These workers are paid for only six hours and want the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC), to respect the circular sent out by the Ministry of Education, in March 2018.

One affected nursery sweeper-cleaner vented her frustration to Minister of Education Dr. Nicolette Henry, who recently visited Linden. She said it is unfair that there is a difference in payment for workers with the same duties and work load. In fact, she opined that nursery sweeper cleaners have a heavier task, since “smaller children dirty their environment faster.” “When the children vomit up in school, is we have to clean it. It’s harder work,” she related.

The sweeper-cleaner argued that while they are working six hours as opposed to eight hours, they never disputed their hours being increased to eight. She also reasoned that the difference in hours does not affect nursery and primary teachers’ salary and should not affect sweeper-cleaners’.

Minister Henry told the sweeper-cleaner that she had indeed sent out the circular, mandating the increase in payment to coincide with the increased hours. It was however, left at the behest on the Regional Executive Officer (REO) to execute the pay increase.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Region 10 REO Orrin Gordon related that while the MoE made the demands, the RDC is expected to work within the guidelines of the Department of Public Service. He explained that there is a difference in payment because of the six and eight hours work schedule, and that he has been trying arduously to put systems in place to ensure that all sweeper-cleaners can be paid the same salary. He added that he has engaged several authorities on the matter, “but the issue has not been put to rest.

It is a conundrum that needs to be sorted out. I have to be guided by instructions,” he noted. Gordon said if he goes ahead and pay the workers the same rates, despite the difference in working hours, it will be a recipe for an audit query. He is hoping that the matter is sorted out at the earliest opportunity.

Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Industrial Relations Officer for Region 10, Maurice Butters, who was instrumental in fighting for the regularisation of the sweeper-cleaners, said that he is not in agreement with the decision taken by the RDC to change the circular, since it is a government one, and was very self-explanatory.

“It did not say six hours for nursery and eight hours for primary. It said eight hours for sweeper-cleaners therefore they are flouting the instructions and should have put systems in place, so that the people can work eight hours,” he opined. He suggested that the nursery sweeper-cleaners go to work for seven instead of eight, and be given a half hour lunch break to boost their hours to eight. He also suggested that they be placed on an eight-hour shift system. Prior to regularisation, the sweeper-cleaners were paid $208.00 per four hours.