…coalition demands one month tax-free pay for all public servants
By Svetlana Marshall
The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) dubbed President Irfaan Ali’s announcement that healthcare professionals will benefit from a two-week bonus as unacceptable. The coalition said not only is the bonus insufficient but the move will leave thousands of other frontline and essential workers out in the cold at a time when the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is taking a significant toll on their lives.
During a virtual press conference on Friday morning, AFC Vice President Catherine Hughes told reporters that healthcare workers, who continue to put their lives on the line, ought to get a larger bonus.
“We are happy that the healthcare workers certainly got two weeks but we think that given the current situation, and all the funds that are being acquired for COVID, more could have been given,” Hughes said.
The AFC Vice Chairman said the PPP/C Administration cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that other professionals, such as those in the Security Sector, are essential workers and ought to have been considered. Hughes reminded that under the APNU+AFC Administration (2015-2019), public servants benefited from bonuses and increases across the board annually.
In separate statement, the APNU+AFC described the two-week bonus being offered to healthcare workers as a “lil freck.”
“Our workers are the backbone of Guyana’s economy. Our workers toil day-by-day to build and sustain our nation. Our workers faithfully pay their taxes. Our workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The APNU+AFC Coalition is therefore appalled by the unconscionable ‘lil freck’ of half month’s salary that the heartless and uncompassionate PPP regime is seeking to toss at some health care workers while marginalizing, side-lining and excluding others. This is disrespectful and unacceptable,” the coalition said.
Cognizant of the difficult and challenging year that 2020 has been for all Guyanese, particularly for health care workers, public servants and members of the joint services, the APNU+AFC Coalition demanded that all public servants, including health care workers, and members of the joint services receive one month’s tax free compassionate payment, in addition to their December salary.
It also made demand for all health care workers to receive an additional $100,000 bonus. “Nothing less would be acceptable,” the coalition said.
It added: “If the PPP regime can find billions of dollars to purchase luxury vehicles for themselves and tractors for a failing sugar industry then certainly it can find money for our workers, many of whom are experiencing difficult circumstances.”
The coalition said it is proud of its record of consistently paying significant end-of-year bonuses and generous salary increases to public servants and members of the joint services during its time in government.
“We demand that workers be respected and treated with dignity and compassion. The APNU+AFC Coalition stands with all workers of Guyana,” it said.
During the APNU+AFC’s five years in office, the minimum wage increased by 77 percent between 2015 and 2019. After taking office in 2015, the APNU+AFC Administration increased the minimum wage from $39,540 to $50,000, benefitting over 30,700 in the public sector at the time.
Public servants, who were at the time earning less than $500,000 monthly, received a one-off tax-free bonus of $50,000; those with salaries of more than $50,000 received a five per cent salary increase, while those earning $50,000 or less received an eight per cent increase.
In December 2016, public servants earning less than $500,000 per month received a tax-free bonus of $25,000, while those earning $99,000 or less benefitted from a 10 per cent increase; those earning between $100,000 and $299,000 received a six per cent increase; those earning between $300,000 and $799,000 and more.
Meanwhile in 2017, the minimum wage was increased to $60,000. Also, public servants earning between $55,555 and $99,999 received an increase of eight per cent; a six per cent increase to those earning $100,000 to $299,999; five per cent to those earning between $300,000 and $499,999 with smaller increases for those on a higher scale.
In 2018, while no bonus was offered, the government approved increases for all public servants ranging from 0.5 per cent to 7 per cent from $60,000 to 64,000. Public servants who earned up to $100,000 received a 7 per cent increase while public servants that acquired salaries between $100,000 and $299,999 received a 6.5 per cent increase along with smaller increases for those on a higher scale
