By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – A decision taken by the APNU+AFC Government to increase the salaries and emoluments for Government Ministers and Members of Parliament is not sitting well with labour unions in Guyana.
In an Extraordinary Official Gazette published on September 25, it was noted that the order for the increases was made on September 23, by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.
In an invited comment on Tuesday, GAWU General Secretary Komal Chand told iNews that the increase is “callous” on the part of the government.
“I think it is callous to have the public servants on the minimum wage and they have now approved for themselves massive increase. When you take into account the increases and the allowances it is more than a 100%,” said Chand.
The Union head stated that the “little increase” public servants would have been given would now be rescinded since the country’s coffers would need more monies to sustain the increases.
According to the order, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will now be paid $20,580,000 per annum which works out to just over $1.7M per month.
Vice Presidents will receive $11,135,064 per annum or $927,000 per month.
Senior government Ministers are slated for a $10M annual salary at 869,000 per month while Junior Ministers will receive close to $700,000 per month.
Parliamentarians will also be paid $2, 402,532 each year. Increases were also given to the Chief Whips and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
The Leader of the Opposition is slated to receive $10M per month. However, Bharrat JAgdeo has indicated that he will not be accepting that salary as he is currently reciving his presidential pension.
In August, Governance Minister Raphael Trotman had said that APNU+AFC administration will not be making any immediate steps to increase the salaries of its officials.
Trotman at a post cabinet media briefing on Wednesday August 05, however made it clear that while the salaries are currently being reviewed, it will not be implemented any time soon.
In fact, Trotman told reporters that that government has noted with some amount of “amusement” the 100% hike in salaries being quoted in some sections of the media.
good night very angry that these persons got a Hugh raise pay my question to all who would read this is as follows 1 – what guarantee can mr HARMON say that his peers would not be inclined to accept a bribe not only in cash but in other way eg car house lot just a few 2- do u believe that again his peers would enjoy free electricity free phone and internet facility, security , Gardner , maid all cost money add up these amounts please and see if the raise is fair to the view of Guyanese excluding the parliaments themselves that all for now
To Tommy, West Dem, Valesha and Moore. You guys seem to have no problem with the former criminals who were in governance. In fact you seem to applaud their outright outrageous acts. They stole land, money, gas and even, lol.You had no problem with them oiling their pockets. You had no problem with a family/friends government dynasty. You keep refering to PNC, some people had no afffiliation to PNC. Some of you weren’t even born during the Burnham regime, but you were brought up with hatred and racism for and couldn’t positively contribute, so now you’re admitting Jagdeo was doing drugs, if the PNC train people to kick down the door, then you will have to admit the PPP were more high profile in training to execute. Maybe its too soon to raise salary, maybe its insensitive, but you have to be compensated for “work”, not destruction.
Labour Union not happy with salary increases for APNU+AFC Ministers.
This installed ruling cabal can do as they please since there is none to stop them.
I want to hear from the TUC, not GAWU, which was with the PPP foxes in the hen house.
I still believe the coalition acted insensitively with the massive pay hikes and arrogantly with its stance it has no apologies to make.
Change dem s want ..them get a con dem Neva expect ..u said for the next 5 years ..bro dem boyz are specialist in rigging ..with that kind of salary and living who will want give up office ..na na not them ..d rigging machine will be well oil and ready for what ever election coming
Lol well said mr burhnam ..u left out rice flour but dem killing rice .we might have to import rice ..Guyana back to the slum ..coming soon rated G
guyanese good luck. These are a bunch of egostistical men who will full their pockets while ordinary Guyanese continues to suffer under this defacto Government. Under the PPP/C our country was on the right path to development. It is people like you guyanese who did not recognized what the PPP/C has done for Guyana. We can’t afford another 4 years of this Granger defacto Government. They need to be voted out and kicked to the curb.
Go PNC Go!!! Run it down!!! Run the country down !!!!!!!!!!!
Bankrupt the country in a hurry, PPP will come and build it up again.
Feed, clothe, and house your supporters.
Teach them how to live with their hands out, to beg, borrow and thief.
We must not forget that “Kick down the door” was invented by the PNC.
Komal back with his old self would he be giving up the 2M paid to him as aparliamentrian. However, the increases are not justifiable to the nation.
O
U r the biggest asshole I’ve Come across
I absolutely have no problem these guys getting a pay increase provided they deliver and do not squander resources. a PPP minister was earning far less than that but thieving probably 200 times. Who is better off?
Odd that the Union did not give voice to the PPP/C salary increases, and their personal spending with taxpayers money. Now that Roger Khan’s hands “are no longer around everyone’s throats” I guess all critics have found their voices…….
This is very good,time to laugh out loud,all you fools who fell for their lies take it from them now,this is the change you voted for,to make these false pretenders rich,what happen to the 20 % that was promise to all workers?,it was substituted with 2.5 %,where is the protest now?you all were fool and will be fools for another 5 years,this is the change we need,the primeminister is in office for 4 months and already has vacation,no money to raise the workers salary but big raise and vacation for the illegal government,god help us fools.
Why complain when you, naga, ramkarran and Rum Rattan put them into power by helping to rig elections….We all know these people were a set of broke individuals looking to full their pockets! The saw Jadego richness from drugs money and felt that he got it from the Guyana Economy. As soon as they went in and realized that the country has no money….they start look into ways to get their maximum gain -collapsed the economy, reduce jobs, crumble the dollar value (which is exactly why USA put them in there-to buy oil at cheap price when the dollar become nothing)….
Raising the salaries of Ministers and Members of Parliament would be a most inhumane of the government. The populace should be the major concern of these persons. The populace were in such depression and were sinking deeper and deeper daily in poverty under the former government.
Presently cost of living is at a strangulating high coupled with an ordinary worker having to pay rent, transportation, children to cater for and such like.
Seems like this is just the tip of the ice burg that is to come from these elites.
Can we, the ordinary people continue to slumber and struggle while livin in squallor while Prado Ville 3 emerges from their cocoon.
What a shame.
Why this man is crying about this increase that the government make, it is normal. My salary is more than the ministers of guyana they are not well paid so they must get an increase and you ppl did not cry when the ppp was in power and made significant increases.
All the politicians in Guyana are selfishly and shamelessly in it for the money and don’t care about the country or the people. The Guyanese public have to demand an end to this travesty regardless of party affiliation. Start by asking why we need a minister for everything, even Toilet Paper. I am sure most ministers set in their offices and play games on their cell phones most of the day.
What a joke Mr Chand should have criticized the exorbitant salaries and benefits given the Guysuco Executives while the entity ailed and limped……now Ministers of the Government you have decent salaries and benefits….be contented and get down to more hard work….transform Guyana from a drug and crime haven to a beautiful land of opportunity and decent living for all Guyanese. God’s eyes are upon you and His hands stretched out to help you……turn to Him reach out to Him and He will help you.