Georgetown: Public servants have been reassured of government’s commitment to ensuring they have the “best possible welfare.”
President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali made this clear when he provided an update on his recent engagement with first vice president of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Dawn Gardener.
He explained that the engagement was not a bargaining meeting but rather for the two sides share and discuss views on how they could resolve the challenges faced by public servants.
“Government believes in ensuring our workers, those in the public service, they have the best possible welfare,” the president stated.
He explained that “it is not only about salaries, it is about a comprehensive strategy. Workers must be able to own their own homes, they must be able to access better standards in terms of health, education, support for their children going to school. So, it is a collective mechanism.”
Since taking office, government has worked to improve working conditions for public servants.
In 2021, over 20,000 public servants benefited from a seven per cent salary increase. Government also returned the one-month tax-free bonus for members of the joint services.
Further, through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, there will soon be a ‘day and night’ care programme to ensure a safe space for children, where single parents could leave their children during their respective working hours.
Government is also working to rectify the irregularities in salary scales across positions in the public sector.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr Ashni Singh last year explained that “for example, a new graduate with a degree in environmental science might be earning $120,000 in one agency while a new graduate with an identical degree in environmental science might be earning $190,000 in another agency.”
“Government will be taking steps next year to reduce these inconsistencies, by making suitable adjustments to salaries in order to improve the parity and consistency with which persons with comparable qualifications are paid,” he said.
