Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:42 AM
Jun 06, 2014 News
… union members ejected from Ministry compound
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has reiterated its dissatisfaction with the “arbitrary”
implementation of the new clocking system; -Biometric system- without the consultation of the body, which represents for public workers.
Senior Industrial Officer, Dennis English told Kaieteur News yesterday that the union has repeatedly expressed their concern of the matter but still there has been no consultation over the implementation of the system which he said, is being forced on public servants.
English was at the time standing outside of the Public Service Ministry on Waterloo Street, after he along with a colleague was asked to leave the Ministry’s compound. English said that public servants have registered their concern regarding the implementation of the system, while some have opted to reject what he said, is the violation of the workers’ rights.
However, three workers from the Ministry of Agriculture who rejected the implementation of the system were summoned for a meeting with Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford yesterday. As the representative of these workers, English said that he arrived at the Ministry accompanying the three members. He and his colleague were denied access to the meeting and were asked to leave the Ministry’s compound.
The new clocking system, according to English, is being forced on the workers since they have not accepted it and the union had not been informed about its implementation. The Biometric system requires workers to clock in an out of the jobs via fingerprinting.
The union says that it is suspicious of the motive behind the new fingerprint system. It feels that the old system is still workable. Several letters between the Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry and the Public Service Ministry have been exchanged but no meaningful move to discuss the issue has been made based on the agreements between the government and the union.
English claims that the Ministry is using politics to intimidate the workers since according to the agreement, the matter has not reached a level where the Minister should summon the workers about accepting the system.
The workers will not be paid or given any work if they do not adhere to the new system. They will also be deemed absent from work if they fail to clock in using the new system.
Public Service Minister Jenifer Westford told Kaieteur News yesterday that several clocking systems had been used and are now inadequate hence the change in system. She said that the implementation of the system is a management tool which in her opinion, did not require consultation with the union.
She said that she was informed about the workers’ rejection of the system and that the Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary was going to take action against the workers so she asked him to hold, and therefore sought to convene a meeting with the workers in relation to the repercussions they might face.
“I only wanted to know whether they were aware of the system’s implementation and whether they were aware of what could happen if they did not adhere to the system.” The Minister said that the union representatives were asked to leave the compound because they were not invited to the meeting.
She claimed also that the men behaved disorderly and she had cause to file a verbal complaint with the head of the GPSU, Patrick Yarde. The Minister said the union is making a mountain out of a mole hill when the issue is a minor one based on the implementation of the system.
The GPSU members said, however, that they will continue to fight the fingerprinting system and continue to resist any intimidation and threatening of the workers.
The representative alleged that workers have been threatened and therefore submitted to the system which has been implemented in majority of the public agencies.
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