100 duty-free concessions annually for nurses among benefits in multi-year agreement between GPSU & Govt

See full statement:

The Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) are pleased to announce that, after extensive discussions and negotiations, the two Parties have been able to conclude a multi-year agreement with respect to employment benefits for public servants for the years 2024 and 2025.

Signing on behalf of GoG was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Ms. Soyinka Grogan, while the 1st Vice President, Ms. Dawn Gardener signed on behalf of GPSU.

In this historic agreement, public servants will benefit from:

• A 10 percent salary increase to be paid to all public servants for 2024, retroactive to 1 January 2024, which amounts to a 35 percent cumulative salary increase over the four years from 2021 to 2024.
• An 8 percent salary increase to be paid to all public servants for 2025, retroactive to 1 January 2025, which would amount to a 46 percent cumulative salary increase over the five years from 2021 to 2025.

Importantly, the agreement also caters for:

Debunching of salaries within the public service with effect from 1 July 2024, in order to recognise the longevity of service as follows:

• Public servants on GS:1-6 with a minimum of 4 years of service within their current scale will be moved to the midpoint of that scale, resulting in an increase as much as 13 per cent for eligible public servants.
• Public servants on GS:1-6 with a minimum of 8 years of service within their current scale will be moved to the maximum of that scale resulting in an increase as much as 26 percent for eligible public servants.
• Public servants currently at the minimum of GS:7-8, upon attaining 4 years in their current scale, will be paid an additional monthly amount equivalent to the nominal difference between the minimum and midpoint of GS:6. resulting in an increase as much as 11 percent for eligible public servants.

2. Effective 1 January 2025, the introduction of qualification allowances for persons who would have furthered studies in an area relevant to official duties:

– Holders of ACCA will receive $15,000 monthly

– Holders of a Master’s degree will receive $22,000 monthly

– Holders of a Doctoral degree will receive $32,000 monthly

3. Increases were also agreed for the following allowances:

– uniform allowance

– travelling and subsistence allowance

– housing allowance

– station allowance

– risk allowance

– motor car and travel allowance

4. Granting of 100 duty-free concessions per annum for nursing staff from the position of staff nurse and above, with priority given to persons with the longest years of service and those who have never benefited from a duty-free concession, effective 1 January 2025.
5. Awarding 100 scholarships annually to GPSU members to pursue undergraduate and post-graduate studies at the University of Guyana or universities through Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), effective 1 January 2025.

This multi-year agreement reflects the continued strong commitment of President Irfaan Ali’s Government to improving the terms and conditions of the working people of Guyana.

The GoG and the GPSU reiterate our shared commitment to continued engagement in areas of mutual interest to further advance worker well-being.

The discussions with the GPSU were overseen on the Government’s behalf by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh. Minister Singh expressed his strong appreciation of the tone in which the discussions with the Union were held and of the diligence displayed by the GPSU team. At the same time, he also expressed his appreciation of the hard work done by the Public Service Ministry team supported by the Ministry of Finance team in arriving at this favorable and historic outcome.

First Vice-President of the GPSU, Dawn Gardener who led the GPSU team in the discussions, also expressed the GPSU’s appreciation of the effort made by the GoG team and voiced the view that this agreement augurs well for a new era in industrial relations in the public service. Ms. Gardener also used the opportunity to recognize her own team’s dedication and effort towards the completion of this agreement.

President Ali welcomed the conclusion of this agreement and observed that it represents the first agreement concluded by the GPSU with any Government in recent memory. His Excellency also reiterated his Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that the lives of all Guyanese are improved steadily, and in a tangible and demonstrable manner, as his Government continues to work towards translating national prosperity to household and individual prosperity for all Guyanese.