GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Friday expressed its disappointment after the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) offered a seven per cent wage hike to its workers.

“Initially GPL said they were awaiting the pronouncements from the government which was done on Tuesday. We came to the meeting hoping to agree to the 10 per cent which was announced by the government but was not to be,” NAACIE general secretary, Dawchan Nagasar, told the online publication, News Source .

On Tuesday, the Guyana government said it had signed a two-year agreement with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) that will result in significant salary increases and improved allowances for public servants.

A government statement said that under the agreement, public servants will receive the retroactive 10 per cent salary increase effective from January 1, 2024 and that this adjustment builds on the government’s consistent efforts over the years, resulting in a cumulative 35 per cent increase in salaries over the past four years.

Additionally, public servants will receive a further eight per cent salary increase in 2025, raising the cumulative increase to an even higher threshold and demonstrating the government’s unwavering dedication to enhancing the financial well-being of public servants.

Nagasar said that with teachers, sugar workers and public servants all receiving a 10 per cent across the board salary hike for this year, his members were anticipating a similar offer.

The seven per cent offer has triggered threats of industrial action by the more than 1,000 GPL workers with Nagasar describing the offer as insulting.

“The government pronounced a 10 per cent increase for 2024 and an eight per cent increase for 2025, along with some in scale movements, additional increases. We at GPL are saying we are willing to accept the 10 per cent increase for 2024 across the board. However, GPL is saying seven per cent across the board and that’s how we got a breakdown in our discussions,” Nagasar said.

He said GPL has indicated that earlier this year, some workers had received a thee per cent salary increase, and therefore they only need an added seven per cent to take the total amount of increases for this year to 10 per cent.

But Nagasar said the three per cent increase was not across the board, and that the power company needs to be fair to its workers, especially around this holiday season.

“We want the relevant authorities to know what is going on, especially the government, because they are the ones who made the pronouncement about these increases, and GPL does not want to adhere to those things. They are breaching the pronouncements coming from the President”.

NAACIE was one of the unions that recently negotiated the 10 per cent retroactive salary increase for sugar workers and Nagasar said he can’t understand the position being adopted by GPL.

“Up to yesterday, we agree with 10 per cent % with GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Company), the same NAACIE for the junior staff for GuySuCo…public servants already accept the 10 per cent across the board.

“So why can’t we get the 10 per cent across the board that was announced by the Government. Our understanding is that the government will provide the money for the 10 per cent so even if they have other reasons, the point is that the government is giving you the money to pay the 10 per cent, and then we should get the 10 er cent,” he said.

Nagasar said as a result of the union not accepting the seven per cent wage hike, the talks are at a standstill.