Hundreds of public sector workers not paid
May 29, 2014 By
Hundreds of public servants protest Budget cuts that put them out of jobs:
Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon has expressed concerns over the large number of workers in the public sector who have not been paid as a result of disapprovals to estimates in the 2014 National Budget.
Speaking at his post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday at the Office of the President, Dr Luncheon said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government would not sit idly by and allow workers to suffer as well as struggle as a result of actions taken by the Opposition parties during the 2014 Committee of Supply proceedings.
“It is not the intention of this administration to sit idly, talking about what to do as the livelihood of employees, many of them, pensionable civil servants appointed by the Public Service Commission are adversely affected,” Dr Luncheon said.
He also pointed out that the Government will be taking steps in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana and in conjunction with rulings that were made by the High Court and Court of Appeal.
He noted that it is “our contention that leads us the expected course of action” as he explained that the Constitution and court rulings “point literally and unambiguously to the solution” to the current problem faced by the Government.
Dr Luncheon said the Finance Minister will soon be approaching the House with a supplementary budgetary paper so as to restore funding to entities such as the Office of the President, the Government Information Agency (GINA), the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Public Works Ministry.
Public servants to those bodies have not been in receipt of salaries as a result of the budgetary disapprovals, made by the Opposition in the National Assembly.
“My anticipation is that the Minister of Finance buttress by the powers and the authority conferred in him in the Constitution, armed with the ruling of the constitutional courts would be providing a response in what essentially we hope would be a short-lived denial,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
Both of the Opposition parties, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) had previously established that it would support a supplementary paper coming from Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh that does not include funding for a few projects that were voted down by the Opposition.
No support
However, it must be noted that the Opposition parties have expressed disapproval for the monies that were going to NCN, GINA and the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.
They have repeatedly said that they will not support funding for NCN and GINA, contending that these are propaganda machines of the Government.
With respect to the University of Guyana (UG) Student Loan programme that was also disapproved by the Committee of Supply, Opposition Leader David Granger and AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan said their actions were not premeditated.
They indicated that if the Government brings a Supplementary Bill to the House, they will most willingly reinstatement funding for the university.
UG’s Vice Chancellor, Dr Jacob Opadeyi also weighed in on the issue, stating that if the Government of Guyana fails to return to the National Assembly for the restoration of the $450 million for the Student Loan Programme, the UG Administration will have no other choice than to shelf programmes.
“If we are not able to attract the more than 3000 loan students, it therefore means enrolment would be affected, and if enrolment is affected, income will be affected and if income is affected, expenditure will be affected,” he posited.
In no uncertain terms, Dr Opadeyi said if the Government fails to return to the National Assembly for supplementary funding for the Student Loan Programme before the House goes to recess in August, the stated line of action will be taken.
But University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) President, Dr Patsy Francis; Vice President Melissa Ifill; and University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) President Bruce Haynes, in a united voice condemned the planned action by the university administration during a press conference held on Friday at the Senior Common Room (SCR), Turkeyen Campus.
