MESSAGE FROM GPSU PRESIDENT/CEO, MR. PATRICK M. YARDE, ON THE OCCASION OF UNITED NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY 2022

United Nations (UN) Public Service Day was designated to be on 23 June annually by UN General Assembly resolution 57/277, passed on 20 December 2002. The date was specifically chosen because it was the date of adoption of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 151, Labour Relations (Public Service) that was first adopted in 1978 and “protects public employees against anti-union discrimination and undue interference, and guarantees public employees’ organizations appropriate facilities to enable them to carry out their functions promptly and efficiently.” This Convention was ratified by the Parliament of Guyana on January 10, 1983 and is in force. ILO Convention 151 on the Public Service majorly dealt with protection of the right to organize (Public Service Employees’ Organizations or Trade Unions), facilities to be afforded to Public Employees’ Organizations, procedures for determining terms and conditions of employment (negotiation of wages, salaries, allowances, etc.), settlement of disputes, civil and political rights (of Public Servants), among other things.

The celebration of UN Public Service Day was, nonetheless, meant to highlight the necessity, “value and virtue of public service to the community,” including the “contribution of public service in the development process,” while recognizing “the work of public servants.” The observance of the Public Service Day was also to encourage “young people to pursue careers in the public sector.”

Sadly, in Guyana today, Public Servants, the nation’s premier workforce, are significantly treated as discards, last resorts and/or bonded servants. Public Servants, who carry out the plans and programmes of Government are poorly treated, paid starvation wages and are expected to subsidize Government’s operations in areas, such as, the costs of travelling and personal protective equipment, while elected officials revel in the glory of development initiatives and implementation. Most recently, employees of the state, in contravention of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99:06, were asked by Government to provide at their own cost, COVID-19 certifications to the satisfaction of the state, if they were to be guaranteed continued employment, after choosing to remain unvaccinated for COVID-19. In this regard, some employees of the state have lost pay or jobs, when refused entry to places of employment, because of failure to meet the draconian demands.

Governments’ authoritarianism is in breach of rights guaranteed under the Constitution and Laws of Guyana (including Occupation Safety and Health Act № 32 of 1997), ILO Convention 151 – Labour Relations (Public Service) and Convention 155 – Occupational Safety and Health.

Article 4 of ILO Convention 151 – Labour Relations (Public Service), inter alia states:

“Article 4

1. Public employees shall enjoy adequate protection against acts of anti-union discrimination in respect of their employment.
2. Such protection shall apply more particularly in respect of acts calculated to—

(a) make the employment of public employees subject to the condition that they shall not join or shall relinquish membership of a public employees’ organization;

(b) cause the dismissal of or otherwise prejudice a public employee by reason of membership of a public employees’ organization or because of participation in the normal activities of such an organization.”

Article 21 of ILO Convention 155 – Occupational Safety and Health states, as follows:

“Article 21

Occupational safety and health measures shall not involve any expenditure for the workers.”

It is clear, therefore, that Public Service workers have a right to be organized and nothing, even discrimination or threats of dismissal, should deny Public Service employees the right to be a part of a Trade Union. The unity of Public Service workers under the umbrella of the Union gives greater impetus and strength to achieve or maintain the hard-won rights and desirable results. Similarly, when Public Service workers choose to divide themselves against a common cause, the less are the chances of achieving the required results.  A house divided against itself will fall.

So it is that Government has repeatedly shown its desire to keep Public Servants poor, but, as workers of the state, all should join together in unity under the umbrella of the Guyana Public Service Union, a Union of ninety-nine (99) years’ experience in dealing with the deception of Governments, to strengthen the Union’s hand for the greater good. The cause is to ensure that Government commits to the payment of a living wage as a minimum salary to Public Servants, simultaneously ensuring that technical, professional and managerial employees are adequately remunerated. This was done in 1999, when Public Service workers militancy led to the Arbitration Tribunal Awards of 31.06% for 1999 and 26.66% for the year 2000. It follows, therefore, that Public Service workers should not allow themselves to be intimidated against being part of the Union or try to freeload on the efforts of the Guyana Public Service Union without becoming organized, as this would only weaken the ability of unionized Public Service workers to achieve desirable end results. In unity there is strength and together we will prevail over the unconscionable acts of the employer.

The theme for this years United Nations (UN) Public Service Day is “Building back better from COVID-19: Enhancing innovative partnerships to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.” The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) wholeheartedly endorses this theme, while it recognizes the unrewarded struggles, especially of the frontline Public Service workers in the healthcare sector that were recklessly pressured to face death, and the invaluable advice given by the World Health Organization during these trying COVID-19 affected times, that have gone a long way towards keeping the workforce healthy.

Public Servants and the rest of the nation should also be applauded for absorbing within their microscopic budgets the additional COVID related price hikes and the now the damning cost of living spikes that have impacted the Country, because of fallouts from the war in Ukraine, majorly through missing meals and the avoidance of necessary nutrients.

The Government, while sitting on the economic nest-egg, have shown no inclination of granting any relief to the workers of the Public Service. This has been manifested in the demonstration of executive lawlessness by barefacedly refusing to negotiate any increases for the years 2020 and 2021, the most deadly and costly years of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the subsequent imposition on the Public Service Workforce of a meagre and insensitive pittance of seven percent (7%) at the end of the year 2021. This was not because of a lack of resources or funds, but by Government’s choice. All this was done while squandering billions of dollars in political handouts to their constituents and the rewarding of political cronyism. All Public Servants are therefore asked to join the vanguard and to militate against these crude, insensitive and unconscionable acts by Government. Public Servants need to be united and firm, while demanding to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. They must also professionally deliver quality, efficient and effective public services, while educating themselves to maintain relevance.

To be able to enhance innovative partnerships to meet the sustainable development goals, Public Servants must be able to fortify themselves to meet the needs of their families, before committing to the process. This has proven to be more difficult, because the current level of sustenance being doled out by the Government, the employer, has negatively impacted each and every Public Servant, even though all have shown real commitment to the sustainable development goals of the nation. The commitment and professionalism of Public Service Workers have always been misinterpreted by Government to mean “comfortable conditions of service, only desirous of miniscule top ups at Christmas.” Public Service Workers need to unify, make their voices heard and thereby dispel this falsehood.

Nevertheless, on behalf of the Executive Council and members of the Guyana Public Service Union I wish to extend to all Public Servants, while recognizing the vast amounts of tasks to which you are obligated, a deserving and happy United Nations Public Service Day 2022.