More than 400 workers attached to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council will receive a one-off $40,000 bonus on or before December 31, 2025, following approval by the council, Mayor Alfred Mentore announced.
Addressing a statutory meeting of the council on Monday, Mentore said the decision was taken after a review of the municipality’s financial position and consultations with the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and the Guyana Local Government Officers’ Union (GLGOU), which represent staff across the council’s departments.
Approximately 483 employees are expected to benefit from the payment, which the Mayor said is intended to help cushion the impact of the rising cost of living. A similar one-off bonus was paid to council workers last year.
“We made some decisions last year to provide a one-off bonus for everyone and we have decided to do that this year as well,” Mentore told councillors, adding that the payment is expected to be made by the end of December.
The announcement comes at a time of growing economic strain across the country. In a recent report, the Inter-American Development Bank stated that poverty in Guyana has climbed to 58 percent, while abject poverty now stands at 32 percent. Local analysts, however, believe the figures may be significantly higher, pointing to rising food prices, escalating utility costs, and declining purchasing power among low- and middle-income households.
During discussions with the unions last week, the GLU requested a one-month salary bonus, while GLGOU proposed a five percent retroactive increase effective January 1, 2025. Mayor Mentore said the council is not in a financial position to meet those requests at this time.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Lelon Saul, Councillor and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Mayor and City Council, told Village Voice News that while the council faces serious financial challenges, it felt compelled to act.
“The M&CC is in a difficult position financially. Notwithstanding, we made a commitment hoping to raise the money,” Saul said. “The council therefore will draw down on its overdraft in the interim to meet this expense. It is not the best financial decision, but council was compelled given the economic hardship facing the average Guyanese.”
Saul confirmed that negotiations with the unions are ongoing, but noted that the bonus represents what the council can realistically afford at this time.
The municipal payout stands in sharp contrast to conditions across the wider public sector. Public servants have received no year-end bonus, despite President Irfaan Ali’s July announcement that salary adjustments would be implemented by the end of the year. Members of the Disciplined Services were also promised a one-month salary bonus, which is expected to be paid before the end of the month.
In addition, President Ali had pledged a $200,000 cash grant for every adult aged 18 years and older for Christmas. That promise was not fulfilled. Following public outcry, the government subsequently announced that a reduced $100,000 cash grant would instead be paid next year.
Since 2019, Guyana has earned more than US$6 billion in oil and gas revenues. However, trade unions and local analysts continue to argue that the benefits of that wealth are not reaching the majority of citizens. They point to a sharp rise in the cost of living, falling real wages, and the government’s refusal to meaningfully engage with trade unions on calls for a living wage.
It’s an economic struggle living in Guyana. Many Guyanese households are increasingly relying on financial support from relatives and friends overseas to meet basic expenses, highlighting what analysts describe as a widening gap between Guyana’s headline economic growth and the lived reality of its people.
In addition to the bonus announcement, Mayor Mentore addressed long-standing concerns raised by unions regarding stagnation in promotions within the council’s constabulary arm. He described the existing promotion system as broken, noting that some officers have remained at the same rank for decades despite years of service and repeated stints acting in higher positions.
During the meeting, five long-serving constables were promoted on the spot from Constable to Corporal following consultations with the Chief Constable and a review of service records. The promoted officers are Pamela Brotherson, Mark Tarmon, Charmine Garraway, Ayana Pompey and Vandiamond, each with between 20 and 32 years of service.
Mayor Mentore said the council remains committed to continued engagement with the unions as it seeks to improve working conditions within existing financial constraints, even as broader national concerns persist over unmet promises, rising poverty, and the uneven distribution of Guyana’s oil wealth.
