GPSU slams Region 10 administration
GPSU First Vice-President Dawn Gardener
GPSU First Vice-President Dawn Gardener

— for ignoring regularisation of sweeper/cleaners

THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has taken the Region 10 administration to task over regularisation of employment for sweeper/cleaners.
GPSU First Vice-President Dawn Gardener, at a press conference Friday accused the Region 10 administration of ignoring a Cabinet decision.

In August 2017, sweeper/cleaners had protested outside the Ministry of the Presidency and the Education Ministry for better working conditions. They were earning below the minimum wage and were not entitled to pensions after retirement.

Gardener said even though there was a Cabinet decision recently on the issue, some senior Region 10 officials are of the opinion that they have the authority to amend the decision by reducing the workdays of sweeper/cleaners to less than the stipulated eight hours per day.
The GPSU official said the union continues to fight for basic benefits for sweeper/ cleaners employed by the Ministry of Education since 2003 and despite meetings at the highest levels, minimal progress has been made to an agreeable standard.

Adding that this is a provision that government signed onto with the ILO Decent Work Country Programme, Gardener said the lack of interest gives the interpretation that the poorer class of worker has to struggle harder in their duties.

She said in a meeting at the Ministry of Education, it was shocking to note that very senior officers at the ministry were ignorant of various laws and rules governing the employment of sweeper/ cleaners.

Although the union had a breakthrough with Cabinet’s intervention, Gardener said the union will continue to advocate for the sweeper/cleaners to be entitled to sick leave, vacation leave and allowances in keeping with the Public Service rules.
In addition, she said these workers upon reaching the age of retirement should be paid benefits for the period of employment.

The proposal from the union had stated that the some 1,500 sweepers/ cleaners who are employed around the country should be allowed to work eight hours per day in a five-day week, and for at least 20 days per month for the entire calendar year.
It also stated that they must be paid a daily rate of $2,400 and this should be revised in keeping with the wage increases for public servants.

National Insurance Scheme (NIS) deductions and leave per calendar year were also recommended by the union to the ministry.

Under the previous administration, Cabinet in 2013 had made a decision to set the wages of the cleaners in accordance with the minimum wages order, however, it was never implemented.

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