| His job is not to apologize but to justify – Lewis By Abena RockcliffeThe idiom “It is not what you do, it is how you do it” is an accurate representation of the sentiments expressed by the General Secretary of Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis.GTUC’s General Secretary, Lincoln LewisThe trade unionist was commenting on the recent salary increases for Government Ministers.Lewis stuck to his earlier position. He said that he believes in a wage driven economy so he sees no wrong in the politicians giving themselves a hefty increase.Lewis even told Kaieteur News that it is no big deal that the politicians took as much as a 50 percent increase for themselves. In fact, he said that such a move now presents the perfect opportunity for unions to bargain for a better pay for the so called ‘ordinary’ public servants.Lewis said, “The issue is not with the quantum. I am sticking to a principle. I believe that there must be a correlation of what the people at the lower level receive, as in a corresponding increase.”Asked if he thinks it would be justified if aggrieved workers strike over the increase, Lewis responded in the negative.He said that instead of public servants striking over the increase that the politicians get, they should strike over an increase they did not get.Lewis brushed aside the fact that the increase was taken before any significant time on the job. He said that the issues is not how long the politicians have been on the jobLewis then admitted that his only problem was with the way things were done.He noted that Government had denied that such an increase was on its agenda and it therefore had a responsibility to return to the public and give an update when it came up on the agenda.The trade unionist said that while he does not see anything wrong with the increase, he thinks that it was properly packaged and sold.Lewis, like many, had a problem with the response given by Minister of State Joseph Harmon to the effect that he had no apology to offer to the Guyanese people and that the increase is a mechanism to avoid corrupt practices.That argument does not go down well with Lewis. He told Kaieteur News that money cannot stop corruption. “Systems help to stop corruption.”Harmon’s statement that he has “no apologies” was a major grouse for Lewis. The GTUC representative said that he noticed that Harmon has a clear misinterpretation of the roles and responsibilities of a Minister of Government.“When a government makes a decision and the public or the media questions it, it is not for an apology, it is for a justification,” said Lewis.Lewis said that the government would do well to understand that at an early stage. His comments to the effect that an increased salary cannot stop corruption were seconded by political and financial analyst, Ramon Gaskin.Gaskin was quoted in sections of the media that increased salaries cannot stop corruption. The only difference was that Gaskin said that once there is a lack of integrity, corruption will prevail.Further, Gaskin said that Ministers should have not been in such a hurry to obtain a salary increase since their utility bills and most other necessities are handled by the government,The political analyst went as far to say that in many cases the Ministers even “eat free” but most other Guyanese do not have those privileges; therefore, the ordinary public servants needed the raise more.Trinidad and Tobago (TT), which has an economy eight times that of Guyana’s, pays its Prime Minister less than what is now given to Guyana’s new Prime Minister. Also, the salaries given to other TT Ministers are relatively in the same ball park of that which is given to those in Guyana.On the other hand, the Caricom member state pays its teachers,Soccer Jerseys China, police and nurses far more than what is being offered to Guyanese workers even after the recent five per cent increase by the new administration.The Gazette listed the Prime Minister’s salary as $20,580,000 per annum. This amounts to a few dollars more than $1.7M a month. Nagamootoo is now the highest paid Prime Minister in Guyana’s history.Trinidad’s Prime Minister is earning TT$48,000 which works out to just over G$1.5M.Nagamootoo is being paid over $200,000 (TT$6,129) more despite the fact that the Prime Ministerial responsibilities of a Trinidadian weigh more than Guyana as Trinidad’s President is only ceremonial.A Temporary Qualified Master or Mistress (TQM) in Guyana takes home $35,000 and a trained teacher takes home just about $60,000.But a trained teacher in Trinidad gets TT $8,000, equivalent to $261,145. More qualification earns a teacher a higher salary.A Police Constable in Trinidad gets about TT$7,000 and that works out to about GYD $228,388; but a police constable in Guyana gets a little over GYD $ 50,000. |
