City Council workers’ industrial unrest averted by 6.5 percent pay hike, bonus

Last Updated on Sunday, 24 December 2023, 22:14 by Writer

The Georgetown City Council on Wednesday unanimously decided to pay a GY$25,000 bonus to its 550 workers and a 6.5 percent wage and salary increase from January 2024, but they would have to wait until the council gets sufficient money during the first quarter of next year for their 2023 back pay.

While the Finance Committee had recommended a 5 percent increase in wages and salaries, 17 of the 18 councillors present on Wednesday voted for a 6.5 percent hike and one opposed it. They then voted 18-0 across party lines of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) for the immediate payment of the GY$25,000 bonus totalling GY$13.9 million.

Twelve councillors from both parties were absent from Wednesday’s crucial meeting.

City Treasurer Ms Ugochi Orgista told the councillors that from next year, the 6.5 percent would cost the coffers GY$4.1 million monthly.

PPPC Councillor, Alfonso de Armas-Archbold, who also voted for the hike, back pay and bonus, failed in his efforts to have the council discuss whether it would have sufficient monies to sustain the 6.5 percent pay increase next year.

City Mayor Alfred Mentore, when asked by Demerara Waves Online News where would the money come from, said funds were becoming available as debts were being paid off. “As those debts fall off the radar or fall off the agenda, we’ll be able to address the new issues,” he said.

He said there was a real fear of a sit-in, refusal to open municipal markets and refusal to sweep the streets if the workers did not get an increase. “I obviously was very concerned about it. It really stressed me out over the last few days when they realised what would happen in relation to this issue,” he said.

Backed up by explanations of the practice in previous years from APNU councillors, Gregory Fraser and Clayton Hinds, City Mayor Alfred Mentore said the back-pay would be paid to workers departmentally during the first quarter of next year as revenue comes in to foot the GY$49 million bill.

Mr Mentore told the Council that the Local Government Commission (LGC) recommended to the city, town and neighbourhood councils that they pay the 6.5 percent wage and salary increase and the GY$25,000 one-off bonus, in line with government’s announcement for other employees, if they could afford it.

The Mayor said General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union, Carville Duncan subsequently met City Hall representatives and adamantly demanded the pay hike, back pay and bonus. Mr Mentore said he told Mr Duncan that he was in a conflict of interest position because he is a trade unionist and an LGC member.

According to the Mayor, efforts would be made from next year to avoid last-minute negotiations with the GLU.