Raises and Recognition

Dec 12, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

---

Peeping Tom…

Kaieteur News- In the movie, Saturday Night Fever, Tony Manero‘s boss offers him a raise after he sees someone making an offer to Tony to come and work elsewhere. For Tony, yearning for validation and self-worth beyond the glitzy world of disco, that a raise in pay was an acknowledgement that says he was good at what he did.

Public servants in Guyana have been greeted with the welcome news of salary increases and allowances for 2024. This year’s adjustment, coupled with the anticipated increases for next year, represents 18% uplift on 2023 salaries—a tangible benefit in an era of economic flux. Such gestures signal an acknowledgment of the contribution of public servants. Yet, amidst the applause, let us take a moment to scrutinize the broader canvas of justice and equity that frames these increments.

Salary increases, laudable as they are, must be grounded in reality, and reality, in turn, is shaped by inflation. If inflation is allowed to soar unchecked, these hard-won gains are quickly eroded, leaving the recipients no better off than before, perhaps even worse. To ensure these adjustments translate into genuine improvements, the government must provide credible and transparent inflation data. Inflation, after all, is the silent saboteur of purchasing power, quietly gnawing away at paychecks.

Guyana’s economy, turbocharged by the oil boom, has more than tripled its GDP in recent years. This astonishing growth presents a golden opportunity to recalibrate the minimum wage and converge it towards a living wage—a baseline that reflects not just survival but dignity. Public servants at the lowest rungs of the salary ladder must not be left clinging to the crumbs of prosperity while the national cake grows ever larger. It is time to set a living wage that matches the country’s newfound wealth, ensuring that every worker can share in the benefits of Guyana’s economic transformation.

Yet, money alone does not confer satisfaction. Public servants crave recognition as much as remuneration. While we see promotions celebrated annually in the Disciplined Services and among teachers, there is an alarming void when it comes to public servants. There exists no publicly available list of those elevated within the public service—a striking oversight that diminishes morale and perpetuates a sense of invisibility. Recognition is not a mere luxury; it is a necessity. The effort and dedication of public servants deserve to be acknowledged with the same enthusiasm afforded to their counterparts in other sectors.

More troubling, however, is the growing trend of bypassing career public servants in favour of political appointees or other handpicked individuals for senior positions. This practice undermines the integrity of the public service, eroding trust and breeding resentment.

Then there is the issue of ‘bunching’. ‘Bunching’ in the context of salaries refers to a situation where there is little or no difference in pay between employees who have vastly different levels of experience, tenure, or qualifications. This can occur when salary scales are not adjusted over time to reflect differences in years of service or when pay increases are applied uniformly across all levels of a pay scale without regard to an employee’s position on that scale.

For example, consider an office assistant who has been with the public service for 25 years. Over time, their salary may have increased incrementally, but if the salary scales are not properly structured or adjusted, this same office assistant would be earning far more than his supervisor who is new to the job. This compression or “bunching” of salaries can lead to feelings of unfairness and demotivation among more experienced employees, as it effectively devalues their years of service and experience. And who wants to be stuck as a office assistant for 25 years.

The government must act to rectify these disparities, establishing clear and equitable promotion pathways. Promotions should not be whispered behind closed doors but trumpeted as part of a transparent and meritocratic system. Every public servant, from the humblest office assistant to the highest-ranking administrator, should see a future that rewards dedication and hard work. They must be disabused of the idea that promotions are only reserved for the political appointees.

This moment of salary adjustments presents a chance to address deeper systemic issues within the public service. It is an opportunity to build a fairer framework that combines financial benefits with the acknowledgment of human worth. Guyana is now buoyed by oil wealth yet burdened with the responsibility of equitable governance. Public servants deserve not only raises but respect, not only increases in salaries and allowances but appreciation.

The recent salary increases and allowances are steps in the right direction. But they are just that—steps. Let us ensure the path forward leads to a future where all public servants can live not just adequately, but abundantly, where their contributions are celebrated, and where justice, not favouritism, determines their advancement. Such a future will not only uplift the public service but also embody the promise of a prosperous and fair Guyana.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)  

(Raises and Recognition)

 

---

• economic flux, paychecks, Peeping Tom, public servants, public service, Raises and Recognition

---