GPL workers protest management over broken promises

Senior and junior managers of the state-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) continued a picketing exercise today outside of the entity’s Main Street Office in Georgetown, calling for management to honour its agreement regarding their allowances.

Supported by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the workers waved placards expressing their disappointment with the “bad faith” of negotiations.

GPSU’s Principal Industrial Relations Officer, Patricia Went told reporters that GPL’s management has refused to meet with the union to sort out certain disparities that have arisen since negotiations in December 2016.

She explained that during those discussions, both parties agreed that allowances for 2016 were retroactive.

But Went said when the official documents were presented to be signed off, management then claimed that they are only recognising allowances for 2017.

She said efforts to meet with the utility company to work out the issues proved futile and that the GPSU has been trying for over a month to meet with GPL.

Since they began their protest yesterday, Went said GPL has reached out and offered to meet on April 10, 2018.

But Went said the union is demanding an earlier date since they have been waiting for the past month.

According to the GPSU official, close to 100 managers are affected by this issue.