GPSU rejects invite to 2003 wage talks
By Daniel Da Costa
Stabroek News
December 3, 2002
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has rejected the government's invitation to start wages/salaries negotiations on January 6 for next year.
President of the GPSU, Patrick Yarde, told Stabroek News yesterday that his union would not deal with negotiations for any future period unless the disputes over wages increases for 2001 and 2002 are first resolved.
Yarde was reacting to an invitation issued by Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry, Nanda Gopaul.
Yarde said his union has not received any such invitation, but as far as he knows his recommendation to the executive council of the GPSU would be for them to reject the proposal until the government can resolve the 2001 and 2002 disputes.
The 2001 matter is engaging the attention of the High Court while 2002 is waiting on the appointment of an arbitration panel. According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Gopaul said that very often the fiscal year ends without an agreement being brokered between the government and the union. He said sincere contentious bargaining by both sides could see public servants receiving an early increase in their 2003 wage package.
According to the government's chief negotiator it is expected that the negotiations would be for a multi-year package covering 2003-2005 and the government is hoping that having been invited the union would put forward a proposal. But the GINA release said Gopaul cautioned that projections for the economy would have to be examined. Excluding certain conditions, such as the increase in criminal activity and expenditure on the bauxite industry that affected 2002, the year 2003 should be a better one for public servants. Gopaul noted that it would be in the interest of workers and union leaders to move away from a confrontational approach in bargaining and work towards consensus and compromise.
