Dear Editor
THE announced increases to wages and salaries of public servants are indeed welcomed, I am very sure, by its well deserving recipients. They will be spending a very merry Christmas, especially in anticipation of BUDGET 2020, WITH FURTHER GOODIES.
However, without fear or favour to none, one must opine that if there is any category of the nation’s workers that truly deserve regularisation, recognition and final reward for the years of hardship which they have endured, because of being outside of the net of earning decency – it is the sweepers and cleaners of the government offices and state schools.
Editor, it is wonderful, and humanely just that these very hard-working people, often looked down upon, be finally given the decency of earnings which they would have only dreamt of, year after year, of their dusty chores of preparing a salubrious and habitable environment in which the nation’s public servants do function. This must also extend to the hundreds of state schools which accommodate our children for the greater part of their day.
Many years ago, pre 2015, an incident of this category of the nation’s workers, protested at Fort Wellington for the poverty and insulting wages which they were then earning. One was dumbstruck when the then figures were mentioned – below $15,000 per month. Promises were made by then president Bharrat Jagdeo, to look into the matter with a view of correcting this more than glaring anomaly. But, nothing happened. To be precise, this particular category is mostly of a particular category that is perceived as non-supporting of the PPP/C; thus, one should not be surprised at the non-action status exhibited. This contention is represented by the fact that the Guyana Public Service Union(GPSU), since 2003, had made representation to the then government for this grave injustice to be remedied, but nothing changed. For years, these workers who are mostly single mothers, were being paid below the minimum wage and some were not entitled to benefits from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). Some of these workers were paid roughly for six hours per day at $312 per hour, even when they work longer periods – which is the case every day as they are tasked with maintaining a sanitary condition in the schools. This was an unchallenged example of the PPP/C’s callous approach to the welfare of the State’s workers.

It was not until 2017, under the auspices of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), that steps were taken to bring this discriminatory treatment to State schools sweepers/cleaners to an end. This meant that for the first time this category was to be on par with the national minimum wage, as well as have deductions made from their earnings for NIS purposes. Prior to that, they were debarred, because deductions were not made. This resulted in many not being eligible for NIS benefits, particularly the opportunity of becoming pensioners.

Other benefits since given, as a matter of right, include vacation, and allowance that goes with such. It is certain, these and other benefits would have been as a result of a 2018 Ministry of Education budget proposal which was reportedly used as a base for finally bringing regularisation, not only to these personnel in the Ministry of Education, but also across the wider spectrum of the Public Service. No doubt that these steps would have brought all members of this category to parity with the new minimum wage of $70,000 as announced by the President.
Again, the government has demonstrated that every category of Guyanese worker is entitled to the good life.
Regards
Carla Mendonca