Retired workers of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are contemplating legal action against the Council for outstanding gratuity and other benefits owed to them since 2015.
Vice President of the Pensioners Association, Kathy Fowler on Wednesday said that the Association has been pleading with the M&CC to disburse benefits owed to the pensioners, who would have worked with the municipality for more than 30 years.
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M&CC pensioners threaten legal action against City Hall
April 18, 2019
…still waiting on $124M approved disbursement
Retired workers of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are contemplating legal action against the council for outstanding gratuity and other benefits owed to them dating back to 2015.
Vice President of Pensioners’ Association, Kathy Fowler
Vice President of the Pensioners Association, Kathy Fowler on Wednesday said that the association has been pleading with the M&CC to disburse benefits owed to the pensioners, who would have worked with the municipality for more than 30 years.
“There are pensioners that would have served the municipality well. Who would have served for 30 years, 33 years, 35 years. Persons that would have given their youth to the municipality and this is how they are being treated [at] the end of the day,” she said.
Fowler, a member of the Guyana Local Government Union, explained that several attempts were made to retrieve the funds from the council, however, they are being ignored. The association has 35 members, all of whom are still awaiting their retirement benefits after four years.
She added that a meeting was held under the stewardship of the new Mayor, Ubraj Narine, in early January where the Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk (ag), City Treasurer (ag) and Chairman of the Finance Committee also attended to update them on the issue of non-payments, however, no progress was made.
The Mayor and team committed to putting measures in place for the pensioners to receive their benefits and two follow-up meetings were done in January month end and mid-February but to date, nothing has been done.
Fowler disclosed that some of the pensioners attended the M&CC Commission of Inquiry in 2018 and spoke on the issue. She said subsequent to this, recommendations emerging from the CoI revealed that $124 million was given to the
Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan to address the pensioners’ issues.
retired pensioners, however, to date, none of them has received the payment.
Fowler warned that they will be making efforts to meet with the Communities Minister soon before moving ahead with legal actions.
