City Council–GLU agreement brings wide-ranging improvements for council workers

A long-awaited labour agreement between the Mayor and Council of Georgetown and the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), signed last week, is expected to bring significant improvements to wages, benefits, and working conditions for City Council employees.

Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, said the agreement was under discussion for more than five years, spanning several mayoral administrations, and focuses on improving staff welfare across both the fixed and unfixed establishments. The Memorandum of Agreement will take effect from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027.

Under the agreement, City Council employees will receive wages and salaries aligned with those of the traditional public sector, with rates negotiated between the Council and the Union based on the nature of employees’ duties.

Mentore noted that the agreement addresses several long-standing concerns affecting workers, including time-off provisions and enhanced allowances.

“Most of what is in it speaks to the benefit of our workers… there are issues where we had to treat with allowances for increase in allowances – meal allowances. There are a number of other things that we treated with,” he said.

The standard work week is set at 40 hours, with specific shift systems outlined for categories of workers such as security guards, pump operators, and sluice attendants. Employees who work beyond normal hours will be compensated through overtime payments, including additional pay for working during lunch periods and on weekends.

Several allowances are enhanced under the agreement, including meal, breakfast, and late-work allowances for employees required to work outside normal hours. Provisions are also made for bicycle and motorcycle allowances, risk allowances for high-risk duties, and acting allowances when employees perform higher-level functions.

Employee welfare provisions are strengthened through clearly defined entitlements for sick leave, maternity leave, vacation leave, special leave, and funeral leave. The agreement also provides for regular medical examinations and the supply of safety equipment in keeping with occupational health and safety standards.

Promotion and career advancement, particularly within the City Constabulary, are also addressed.

“One of the key matters is the constabulary staff and the bottom-heaviness of those staff, where many persons have not been promoted over the years,” Mentore said.

He noted that many constabulary members have remained in lower ranks for extended periods and said addressing this issue is in the interest of both the City Council and the Guyana Labour Union, which represents a large portion of the workforce.

Mentore said the agreement aligns with his long-standing advocacy for improved worker support and advancement within the City Council.

“I have always been an advocate for upward mobility in the City Council and to ensure that the welfare of workers is properly taken care of,” he said.