Public servants 2016 bonus…

 BY EDWARD LAYNE

President David Granger has breached a commitment he made to thousands of workers, when he said he will never violate their rights nor the collective bargaining agreement which spells out the laws surrounding benefits, increases and the process governing the welfare of unionised workers.
While in Opposition, Granger told workers present at the Guyana Trade Unions Congress (GTUC) May Day Rally in May this year that if his Government came to power following the election, there would be an end to the disrespect shown to workers by forcing miniscule salary increases and perks at them.

From left to right: GTUC member Karen Vansluytman-Corbin; GTU General Secretary Lincoln Lewis; then coalition Presidential Candidate now President David Granger; GTUC President, Leslie Gonsalves and coalition then Prime Ministerial Candidate now Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at GTUC’s 2015 May Day Rally

He committed his Government to the resuscitation of the collective bargaining agreement and process. “It is a contract between the next Government and the union represented by the GTUC”, Granger told to the workers as he presented a copy of the coalition’s Election 2015 manifesto to GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis as a symbolic commitment to the pact.
He made it clear that workers could expect an end to the “lil freck” they became accustomed to under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) rule, arguing passionately that an A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration would engage the respective unions in collective bargaining for mutually-accepted agreements.
“We guarantee you that we will stand behind unions so that unions can sit down with employers and restore collective bargaining… it is back to the bargaining table; that is what APNU/AFC will give you. No more Frecks!” he told the exuberant crowd, which chanted, “No more five per cent.”
However, the Government’s announcement Monday that it will be granting a $50,000 year-end bonus for public servants earning below $500,000 monthly is described as backpedalling on this promise and did not escape the attention of GTU General Secretary Lincoln Lewis.
On Tuesday, Lewis took the Government to task over its failure to consult with the unions on the bonus, pointing to what he said is the Administration’s  failure to honour the collective bargaining and its own elections campaign commitment.
Lewis said while he welcomes the bonus for workers who are still struggling for wages, attention cannot be lost to the fact that Government at all times is required to uphold the rule of law.
“The payment of this bonus, in the absence of an engagement and concurrence with the trade unions that represent Public Sector workers is another act of violating Article 147 of the Guyana Constitution and Trade Union Recognition Law Section 23 (1) and transgressing the rights of workers,” Lewis said in a statement.
The GTUC head said consistent with industrial relations principles, the bonus is now part of the condition of employment for public servants and as such, must be paid yearly to public servants.
“For while an employer can choose to put something in place, that employer has no authority under the law to remove it. As such, come 2016 and onward, workers shall be entitled to their year-end bonus unless the unions agree otherwise. There is an established precedent.
The GTUC head reminded that industrial relations is not about gut feeling; it is guided by a body of principles, rules and laws.
“The GTUC therefore calls on the Government to all times be shrewd in its decision-making and more so to consult in order to make decisions consistent with time-honoured principles, laws and rights. While this and many other acts may be well intentioned, Government has to be mindful that the process it engages in does not undermine good intentions and bring disrepute to its stewardship,” Lewis said.
He added that every aspect of collective bargaining must be embraced by the Government, which is not only consistent with the laws but also commitment given to workers by the coalition during the May 11, 2015 elections campaign.
This is not the first occasion the Government has breached its campaign promise to honour the collective Bargaining Agreement. The Administration in August arbitrarily announced salary increases for public servants. This move drew widespread criticisms from trade unions, since there were no consultations with the trade unions.
At the time, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) rejected the approach which it said was in conflict with the undertaken given by the Government to respect the collective bargaining process.
The APNU/AFC while in Opposition, constantly chastised the then PPP/C Administration for the is described as “starvation wages and “freck” it was giving to public servants, while flouting the collective bargaining.
As a matter of fact, in December 2014, the APNU called on the PPP/C Administration to “respect the collective bargaining agreement and the rights of Public Servants and their Union,” adding “The annual arbitrary imposition of a small increase in wages and salaries for public employees is a clear example of the PPP/C Administration’s arrogance and its abandonment of any pretense at collective bargaining.”
However, upon assumption of office in May 2015, the coalition Government continues to renege on many of its promises, including respecting collective bargaining.