Govt. under scrutiny for rehiring retirees
Jan 01, 2014 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....r-rehiring-retirees/
Within weeks of this new year, Government will be moving to present the National Budget in Parliament. But it is unlikely that there will be a smooth passage as the Opposition has signaled intentions to scrutinize all expenditures with a fine tooth comb.
Among one of the contentious areas to receive attention will be contracts to Government workers.
APNU’s MP, Joe Harmon
While the administration, time and again, has been defending the issuance of contracts saying that it worked well for categories of cleaners and other employees for short-term jobs, the Opposition and unions have been eyeing them with heavy suspicion.
The Opposition has been complaining that the administration has used the contracts to reward close party members and family with high-paying jobs.
Clyde Roopchand
The matter has also been upsetting the Guyana Public Service Union, the biggest bargaining body for civil servants. The union has contended that in addition to rewarding its faithful, the Government has been using contracts as a means to break the backs of the bargaining bodies.
On Monday, independent columnist of Kaieteur News, Peeping Tom, again raised another angle, that of retired public servants being rehired and offered lucrative contracts, far in excess being earned by normal workers.
With the pensionable age being 55, the columnist was critical of the administration, claiming that there were even two instances where public servants were retained over the age of seventy. This has impacted on the natural progression of workers and will negatively affect the morale of workers who expect promotions.
Former Minister
Clinton Collymore
Two such persons, Kaieteur News was told, included Clyde Roopchand, a senior functionary in the Ministry of Finance, and Clement Sealey, the Deputy Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority.
According to GPSU’s President, Patrick Yarde, his union had called on Government several times to consider revising upwards the age of retirement to at least 60, a position held by former President Janet Jagan.
“This is precisely what we would have wanted to avoid…that they don’t have the discretion of picking and choosing. Further, there was longstanding agreement where GPSU had to concur before rehiring. This agreement is not being honoured anymore by Government.”
The reality, Yarde said, was that Guyanese are living longer.
“These people are just being placed there and are obstructing promotion for hardworking public servants. There was even a government circular on this issue. It is a major source of concern for the union.”
While the union believes that the rehiring of retired public servants is significant, it has now moved to conduct a survey to determine the extent.
According to senior Member of Parliament of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, the issue of rehiring and contract ones has been a major one for that Opposition faction.
“We have one Ministry paying four persons – two of them current ministers and two more who are no longer ministers.”
Harmon would have been referring to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. The Senior Minister is Ganga Persaud while the Norman Whittaker is the Junior.
Also working there are former Ministers, Harripersaud Nokta and Clinton Collymore.
Former Minister Harripersaud Nokta
“We are asking for more monies to pay public servants yet we have huge sums being placed in the pockets of especially the party faithful.”
According to Harmon, many of contract workers and retirees are getting NIS, old age pensions, assigned vehicles and drivers, housing and other utilities allowances and even vacation pay.
“Look right there…that is where all the fluff and the fat is. We can find some of the monies to pay public servants a little better from right there. Don’t use the money to pay people to do political work, because that is what some of these contract workers are doing. Let the PPP use their slush funds if they want to pay them.”