Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 19, 2012 News
… Combined Opposition hammers Govt. deception
Pull Quote: “…We call on the Government to desist from misleading the workers and let professionalism prevail,” APNU’s Ally
By Gary Eleazar
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 will forever go down in the annals of Guyana’s history as the
day that an Opposition Member challenged the Budget Estimates with a view to making cuts but this recognition by the Speaker came after the combined opposition thoroughly lambasted the government for what it called deliberate deception.
Parliament got underway some three hours late due to several impromptu meetings, believed to have been spurred by a motion in the name of Alliance for Change (AFC) Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan, proposing cuts to the budget in excess of US$15M.
The proposal attracted a lively protest by hundreds of employees attached to the various affected Ministries but the government’s argument that the opposition was looking to make job cuts was quickly dispelled.
One of the affected Accounting Heads that Ramjattan had proposed for cuts was for ‘Contract Employees’. Moses Nagamootoo of the AFC, in clarifying the motion, stated that the cuts were meant for the “Fat Cats with Super Salaries,” and not the average workers that the government had impugned.
At the beginning of yesterday’s session, Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul used the opportunity provided for under the Parliamentary Standing Orders, for him to make a statement.
Gopaul proceeded to inform the House, that as Labour Minister of Guyana, he represents the interest of employers and employees and further it is his duty to ensure a level playing field.
He drew reference to the motion that had been presented by Ramjattan which he said was of particular importance given that it alludes to the termination of hundreds of employees.
He proceeded to then inform the House of the Legal parameters involved in terminating an employee.
Dr Gopaul said that if Ramjattan’s motion was to be approved then Government will be force to fire hundreds of workers and such an action will result in the flagrant violations of their terms of employment and would breach the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act.
The Labour Minister then informed the House that this is the first time in history that an opposition party has proposed such sweeping and immediate termination of workers.
“I never would have expected such a crass approach for the perusal of estimates, particularly the employment,” said Gopaul even as he urged APNU to intervene.
Government Deception/ Don’t be misled
APNU’s Chief Whip and senior Parliamentarian Amna Ally attempted to move a motion dismissing the Government assertions and condemning their actions by forcing Ministry workers to protest the Parliamentary session.
The motion was not allowed but the Speaker, guided by precedent set by his predecessor, Ralph Ramkarran, allowed her to make a brief presentation.
Ally proceeded to inform the House that she had received numerous calls to the effect that senior Government officials and Ministers were instructing the Ministries’ staffers to go and protest at Parliament “because the opposition want to see them out of their jobs…they were threatened that if they don’t come out they will be fired.”
Several telephone calls were directed to the Kaieteur News also where Ministries’ staffers related that they were being forced to go and protest or be terminated.
“APNU condemns the callous act,” said Ally even as she called on all concerned Ministers to “stop the distasteful act and don’t involve our professionals with the politics of the day.”
She implored on the House, “We must not put our workers at risk.”
Ally said that they are alerting all (workers), that they must not be misled by the drama being pursued by the Government saying that APNU will continue to champion rights of workers.
“We have called for improved wages …We call on the Government to desist from misleading the workers and let professionalism prevail.”
Target Fat Cats with Super Salaries
Following the presentation by the Labour Minister, Moses Nagamootoo who has since risen to the top of the ranks in the AFC told the House that it was most disappointing to hear Gopaul giving that amount to “clearly a distorted view on the position taken by the AFC with regard to Contract Employees.”
Kaieteur News was reliably informed that a challenge to the estimates has never been done before and as such, the AFC did not want the opportunity to slip by where the budget would be passed in its entirety because of a technicality.
Committee of Supply
The House did eventually get down to work and undertake a perusal of the estimates at which point in time the now controversial topic of ‘Contract Employees’ surfaced.
The Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ally when asked to detail the top five persons in the category of contract employees pointed to the Permanent Secretary and some civil and chemical engineers’.
Ally told the House that the Permanent Secretary who is an employee on contract earns just about $600,000 per month with another $14,500 for allowances.
He divulged also the salaries for the engineers to the tune of $151,000 with an additional $9,000 for allowances.
This publication understands that the majority of persons employed in the Ministries under ‘Contract Employees’ fall in the category of cleaners, office assistants and drivers among others and attract a salary commensurate with their employment requirement however there are exceptions to which Ramjattan alludes.
These exceptions, he said, represent the instances where friends and cronies of the administration are rewarded with super salaries.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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