Government seeking details from Armstrong on `pressure' charge
The government is still trying to ascertain who allegedly made improper approaches to members of the Public Service Wages Tribunal. Chief Labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel, wrote to tribunal chairman, Barbados-based Guyanese management consultant, Dr Aubrey Armstrong, on Tuesday seeking additional information about the claims he made in his September 3, letter to Labour Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey. The other members of the tribunal were Economics Professor, Dr Clive Thomas and Bank of Guyana research director, Dr Gobind Ganga. Akeel's letter said that the information was needed to enable Dr Jeffrey to investigate the claims. Those claims were that blandishments of particular offices were held out to the tribunal members; that the government's nominee on the tribunal, Ganga, misunderstood his role as a member of the tribunal; that the chief labour officer (Akeel), against the law, demanded the tapes and records of the tribunal; and that there had been pressure on him (Armstrong). The tribunal submitted a majority report earlier this month recommending 31% and 26% pay increases for 1999 and 2000 respectively. When he submitted his report, Armstrong said he and members of the tribunal had been subjected to inappropriate approaches and that they did not come from the union's side. However, he subsequently said that he was prepared to leave the matter be, based on an understanding arrived at with President Bharrat Jagdeo. But President Jagdeo, who had dissociated himself and members of his government from the reported overtures, denied that he and Armstrong had reached any understanding. He said that he wanted to know who the persons were that had made the approaches since he had not authorised any such action. The arbitration was part of the back-to-work agreement, which ended the 55-day strike by public sector employees, brokered by a team of mediators which included representatives from the private sector, the Guyana Trades Union Congress, the Guyana Council of Churches and the Guyana Bar Association. 
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