Despite having the resources available to do so, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government is failing to institute adequate measures to cushion the rapidly increasingly high cost of living. If the PPP/C was serious about improving the lives of Guyanese and reducing poverty, it would have at the very least, delivered on a decent pay increase for public servants.
That is essentially the position taken by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Roysdale Forde yesterday as he made his contribution to the ongoing debate of the National Budget.
Forde told the House that “among the travesties still occurring in Guyana, is the persistent failure by the PPP/C to make wages and salaries livable and respect the constitutional right to collective bargaining for all unionized workers in the public sector or where the Government is a shareholder.”
The lawyer articulated his belief that the PPP/ C Government needs to swiftly move to the bargaining table with the trade unions to achieve increased wages and salaries and improved conditions of work reflective of an oil and gas economy.
He reminded the House of PPP/C’s election campaign promise of a 50% increase to all public servants. He said tat after more than two years in Government, the PPP/C has not even come close to making good on that promise.
Forde said that unilaterally tossing less than 20% increase in wages and salaries to public servants, in three years, is as discriminatory as it can get.
He noted that in 2020 public servants received nothing; in 2021 they were tossed a 7% taxable increase, and in 2022 an 8% taxable increase.
