Teachers, public servants to get payout on Monday
By Gitanjali Singh
Public servants, teachers, and members of the disciplinary services will get their back-pay and increased salaries on Monday, following Parliament's approval of $1.755 billion in supplementary provisions to meet that expense yesterday. However, the circular authorising the payout for teachers instructs that all payments have to be made this year and not from next year's budget, posing difficulties for those teachers awaiting their letters of appointment (first appointment, transfer, promotion, acting appointment) and who may not receive these before the new year. These would include teachers graduating from university or training college next month. The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has written to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, seeking a "pellucid" clarification on this issue as well as on the freeze on employment in the teaching sector. Most of the $2.3 billion needed for the payout (including the interim payouts to public servants, teachers and the joint services) arise out of a budget deficit and the government has put a freeze on employment, overtime and other charges in the public sector, government ministries and regions. However, with the mass exodus in the teaching profession, officials within the sector are querying what this freeze will mean for schools hard hit by the loss of teachers and they ask who will teach the students in the coming six months while the public sector modernisation project is being designed. Dr Luncheon had indicated that the freeze would be in place until that project design was completed. Another concern is the intention of the government to send home retired/rehired teachers and a senior teaching official said these teachers are the backbone of the teaching service and are of tremendous help in many rural areas. Meanwhile, the number of government employees benefiting from the pay award on Monday will depend on how many of the agencies requested the release of funds from the Ministry of Finance. The Armstrong tribunal awarded to public servants a 31.06% increase in pay for this year and 26.67% for next year (which is likely to be payable after the budget is passed). The Rodrigues tribunal awarded 12% to teachers and the government has awarded the same to the disciplinary services. However, the government had made an interim payout of 25% (different percentages at different scales) to public servants by mid year and 4.6% to teachers and the joint-services, costing the treasury $600 million. Supplementary provisions were also sought for that. A circular for the additional payout which will amount to $1.755 billion was issued several weeks ago but the payment has not been effected to date. President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday assured that this payment would be made by Monday. The deadline for the payment was October 15, and the Guyana Public Service Union last week accused the government of being in serious breach of the terms of the strike settlement leading to the award. The budgeted wages bill for this year was $9.6 billion, but with the increases, this is increased to some $12 billion. Apart from the revaluation of the Customs and Excise Department exchange rate to US$1 to $180, there have been no tax measures to meet the added expenditure and the cost-cutting exercise in the public service is not expected to yield very much. Head of Budget, Winston Jordan, said yesterday that these measures had been put in place in October and would not have yielded very much compared to what had to be paid out. As regards teachers, he indicated that those whose letters of appointment were issued next year but their appointments effected this year, would have to be paid as well. Prime Minister Sam Hinds on behalf of the government yesterday sought Parliament's approval for $9.2 billion in supplementary provisions. Of this $1.75 billion was to meet salaries and related expenses of public servants, teachers, disciplined services and other workers, pensioners as well as the key and critical supplement for public servants. Financial Paper No.3&4 also covered a government debt of $776 million to the old Guyana Electricity Corporation and $12 million to buy materials and meet the contractor's fee to complete the Lethem Distribution Centre for the Moco Moco Hydroelectric project. PNC Leader, Desmond Hoyte, queried whether the $12 million was part payment for the US$750,000 cost overrun being demanded by the Chinese for the Moco Moco project and if not, what provisions have been made for that cost overrun. Hinds said the cost overrun was met from money from a previous loan.
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