By Naomi Marshall

THE Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (GPTWU) on Tuesday announced that it will be taking legal action against the government for pensions owing to members of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC)/ Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) Pensioners’ Association.

This announcement was made at a press conference following the approval of a resolution by members of the GTC/GTT Pensioners Association. Prior to approval of the resolution, a petition was signed by 20 members of the association.

The resolution stated that retired employees of the GTC/ GTT Pensioners Association have authorised the GPTWU to explore all means necessary in an effort to bring closure to the payment of pensions owed to them; this would be in keeping with the agreement pertaining to GTC’s sale to ATN and the formation of GTT, a new entity. The agreement states that the service of all GTC employees who chose to continue with the ATN majority-owned GTT, is continuous and would receive their pensions from the government, based on their final salaries at retirement.

According to GPTWU President Harold Shepherd, the government has failed to fully pay the former GTC/GTT employees who had continued in GTT’s employ and have retired from GTT.
Shepherd noted that the union had consulted with representatives of the government but to no avail. The pensioners have authorised the executives of GPTWU to actively pursue their cause and to do so by all legal means necessary.

NO RESPONSE
He stated that last week, the union’s attorney Nigel Hughes dispatched a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting that the matter be resolved; however, the union has received no response from the ministry.

Shepherd indicated that if the union does not receive a response in its favour within seven days, the matter to will be taken to court.

He added: “That’s our position, we are not turning back. Unless the minister of finance reaches a settlement with this union, this matter will be going to court by now and early next week, simple as that. Time is of the essence here, we lost over 30 members already.”
Shepherd said the government should pay the pensioners what is “rightfully theirs’ now, so that they can enjoy it while they are alive.”

GTC/GT&T Pensioners Association Executive Member, David Wallace said the situation is an “insult” to the retired workers and must be urgently addressed.

He noted that the GTC/GT&T pensioners have given all of their prime years to serving the country, adding that the average years of service by a former employee is 35 years and many have served over 40 years.

“We have given all our youthful years and made numerous sacrifices in order to have a reliable state-of-the-art communication company, so that the government, private sector and ordinary man in the street can execute their business satisfactorily; yet, we are treated with scorn,” he said.

He added: “Many of us are sick and are on special medications, many have died. The rest are still suffering with the hope that they will be paid, but when? Should we wait for another decade?”