“Request a 50% increase” – Jagdeo tells GPSU

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is urging that the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) request a 50% increase in salaries for public servants when it commences it’s negotiations on salary increases.

Jagdeo, one of the speakers on the final day of Budget 2016 said that this request should be made because some Ministers of Government have also benefited from a 50% increase to their salaries shortly after ascending to office.

However it should be noted that under the PPP, public servant constantly received a 5% increase in salaries which was protested against and was done without any bargaining with the unions.

In 2011, an election year, the Government gave public servants a 11% increase in salaries.

“I hope that the public service unions will request at least a 50% increase in takes” he said adding “at least the public servants can get a 50% increase on a $50,000 and %75,000 basis.”

The unions are preparing to enter into talks with the government over the salary increases. The talks are expected to be highly premised on the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service.

Earlier on Friday, State Minister Joseph Harmon had declared that the unions will be engaged in good faith.