As a result of a strike by Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transmission and distribution workers yesterday, the management of the entity earlier today agreed to increase salaries across the board by 5 per cent and a 3 per cent in-scale movement, where at least 800 employees will benefit.
This was confirmed by the President of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Kenneth Joseph, who noted that management of the company also offered to reinstate the zero to 10 per cent performance assessment increment one off payments.
The scores of employees in yesterday’s protest expressed their anger that even though negotiations with NAACIE for a 15 per cent increase of their salaries were decreased to 8 per cent, GPL was only inclined to allow a 2 per cent raise, which according to some was “definitely unreasonable!”
The company’s workers who were yesterday protesting returned to work after it was announced that GPL and NAACIE would today be negotiating in relation to wages and salaries for 2016.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPL Renford Homer had said that at the management and Board level, the message about the strike was ventilated and GPL was going back to the Union with an improved position.
Homer had noted before the negotiations commenced that “our expectation is to see [an] amicable conclusion in salary and wages’ negotiations between GPL and NAACIE. We can do it before the end of the year; we can close off 2016 to those members paying them whatever the approved rates are, retroactive to January next year.”
5%, while government ministers are getting 50%? Cost of of living is about 30% more than what these people will earn. However, the government ministers don’t have to worry about that, ’cause they have more than enough! American Greed arrives in Guyana!