Strike end agreement signed
By Robert Bazil
THE terms of resumption ending the almost two-month public sector strike was signed by all parties yesterday and workers are expected to resume duty by Tuesday. Minister of Health and Labour, Dr. Henry Jeffrey told reporters at the signing ceremony at his Brickdam, Georgetown, office that no one has benefited from the strike. He declared: "The workers have definitely lost pay, the Government has lost revenue, the private sector itself has been severely harmed, the reputation of our nation has again been called into question and racial tension has not improved." Maintaining that the industrial action has not been a happy event for Guyana, he hoped that the parties will analyse it and come to some positive conclusion. Jeffrey said the unions and the workers in the public service have demonstrated that they are willing to struggle if they really want something. "The Government on this occasion did not lose its nerve...the Police in my view did a very good job...we must thank the mediation team for coming on board to help the nation when the nation needed help," he said. Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) General Secretary, Mr. Lawrence Mentis, said the signing ended a decision which his Executive Council took to proceed to industrial action because of a legitimate grievance - increased wages and salaries for workers for 1999. He was convinced that the strike could have lasted only a few days if the Government at the time had agreed to go to arbitration. He claimed that because the Government was not willing to go to arbitration at that time, it caused the strike to extend itself until yesterday. "Notwithstanding that, there were hard negotiations by the respective teams...we worked long hours and we were very adamant in ensuring that the package would be in the workers favour, and we are happy that we have come to this position today," Mentis said. The GPSU General Secretary said the union Executive Council Tuesday night agreed that the package be accepted, that the strike would end and workers would resume duty on Tuesday. He emphasised the need for the parties to work together to ensure that the goals and deadlines set out in the terms of reference are achieved with the assistance of the mediation team. Mr. Seelo Baichan, of the Federated Union of Government Employees (FUGE), disagreed with Jeffrey that no one was victorious in the strike. He charged that where they had a permanent circular containing wages, the workers have broken that barrier. "For four years we have been fighting for arbitration...the Government was resisting...we have broken that barrier; and the non-refundable payments are also achievements," he added. Baichan said the process to arrive at the agreement was riddled with suspicion and reservations on all sides, but with the strength of the workers, they were able to achieve their goals. He congratulated the mediation team for working late at nights with the Government and the unions. He assured that FUGE will adhere to all the clauses in the agreement and hoped that the employers would do so too. Mr. Ron Webster, one of the private sector representatives on the mediation team, said the success of the mediation was a question of trust. "We were able to understand to a much greater degree the Government's and the unions' position," he said, adding that there was no instance when any one of the parties refused to meet the mediation team. Stating that the team has learnt a lot from the concerns of both sides, Webster acknowledged that that is what really pulled the deal off. The mediation team comprised the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Guyana Council of Churches and the Guyana Bar Association. PSC President, Mr. Yesu Persaud last night expressed "great satisfaction" and complimented the mediation team. "It has been a hard task...I hope we don't have to go through this all over again because the country has suffered enormously...whether we would recover exports is another story...exports have all been stocked," he said. Persaud hoped that things would return to normal today and people will go about their jobs as they did nearly eight weeks ago. The PSU head felt that the mediation process was an indication that there are times when there is need for a go-between party to settle problems, stressing that had both sides listened in the first two weeks the dispute could have been settled. Persaud said the financial impact of the strike has been substantial and the results will be seen over the next few weeks. "The strike will affect the economy, the growth...in terms of revenue, taxation has not been collected - income tax as well as customs duties," he said. And President of the Shipping Association, Mr. Chris Fernandes said last night there were no winners and losers in the strike. "We have all lost...every single one of us; some more than others, but we are happy that agreement has finally been reached and we look forward to returning to our normal course of business with effect from tomorrow," he said. According to him, containers on the wharves have not piled up a great deal because for the past four weeks, vessels have not been calling at Port Georgetown with containers, but have been dropping off the cargo in Trinidad and Barbados. Having to handle those containers in Trinidad and Barbados will incur additional cost, Fernandes said, adding that each consignee will now have to pay a little more to cover additional freight for getting the containers here. Noting that everyone will want their cargo immediately, Fernandes said the smooth clearance of the containers would depend on how fast Customs officers return to work and the speed at which they are able to operate. "Any bottlenecks are likely to be with Customs and the delivery with everyone wanting their stuff right away...there will have to be some sort of priority because every cannot get theirs at the same time", he said. Containers began leaving some wharves late yesterday afternoon. The terms of resumption agreement states that the unions will immediately call off the strike, there will be full resumption by June 29 and there will be no break in service. There will also be no victimisation on either side, including transfers, terminations/dismissals, intimidation, retrenchment, demotions, among other things. Additionally, a circular sent from the Ministry of Finance to the various corporations and companies limiting pay increases to a maximum of five per cent shall be withdrawn. Deduction of wages of the days employees were on strike shall commence from week starting November 1, and shall be deducted over a seven-month period in equal amounts, excluding the month of December. It was agreed that each striking public servant must be notified in advance of the total pay loss incurred by him/her prior to any deductions being made. Under the agreement, the $201M advance payment shall be made. This amount represents an advance of the 4.6 per cent increase offered for 1999 of $101M, together with a government extra-budgetary payment of $100M, the status of which will be determined by the Government in consultation with the unions and mediation team within two weeks of the arbitration. In addition, a further $101M will be advanced against year 2000 earnings, yielding a total advancement payment of $302M at the end of June and $43M at the end of July and August 1999, respectively. The amount advanced against year 2000 earnings will be provided from sources other than the Government. The parties shall agree to the disposition of the advance payments. The Government agreed to support GPSU/FUGE members employed by corporations who have requested an interim payment of not less than eight per cent across the board for 1999 from their employers. The administration also agreed and undertook to support the expeditious settlement of the current wage claims by GPSU/FUGE. The 4.6 per cent ($101M) for 1999 and $4.6M (4.6 per cent) are non-refundable sums which will be deducted from the arbitration awards for those years or remain with the workers if the awards are less than those sums. The $100M from non-budgetary sources will also be non-refundable if the award is less than the total sum for 1999. After the tribunal gives its award the necessary retroactive adjustments will be made to overtime pay. The Government has also committed itself to appoint within 15 days of resumption of work a Commission of Inquiry under the Commission of Inquiries Act to investigate occurrences during the period of industrial strike - April 29 to June 23. The commission will look at the Police shooting of strikers and others in Water Street on May 18; the incidents at the Ministry of Finance on June 10, and the Public Hospital Georgetown on May 21 and the forced entry by the Police at GPSU headquarters on the night of June 16. It is the understanding of the parties that the President of Guyana may at her discretion specify such other matters that she may consider proper, without prejudice. Unless there is a mutually agreed extension, or it is otherwise directed by the tribunal, the Government undertakes to pay the award within 45 days of its being made by the tribunal. Police yesterday said they are investigating a report of seven bottles of gasolene with wicks being found in the compound of the GPSU headquarters. The molotov cocktails have been seized and no arrests have been made. Investigations are also on into an assault which occurred yesterday outside GPSU involving a man and a woman.
Timetable Day 1 - Signing of agreement Day 6 - Full resumption of work Day 10 - Appointment of tribunal Day 70 - Submission of arbitration award
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