Rohee, Nandlall willing to take a pay cut to increase salaries for public servants

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall are both willing to take a pay cut in their salaries in order to facilitate increase funds for public servants.

At the weekly press conference of the People’ s Progressive Party Civic on Monday, December 23, the two Ministers were asked if they would object to a reduction in their salaries given the public servants protest over the past few weeks for increased wages.

In response, Minister Rohee said that he has been working for the past 46 years and at the moment; his parliamentary ministerial salary is just over $300,000.

Rohee said it was a struggle. “There are many like myself in the cabinet…so to ask me to take a pay cut from what I’ve managed to earn over 46 years, I don’t mind but I think they have to put this thing in context and to understand how one has to struggle in life to reach where you are,” the Home Affairs Minister told the news conference.

Meanwhile, Minister Nandlall was not immediately ready to accept a pay cut. He explained that he would not voluntarily request a pay cut but will accept his salary if it is reduced.

“I can’t voluntarily determine that I will take a pay cut. I have other colleague Ministers who would not agree and I can’t pretend that I would like to be a hero and a martyr out there…but it’s not a matter for me, my salary is fixed. Whatever salary the government pays the Attorney General that is the salary I will receive. I will not object,” Nandlall said.

The Guyana Public Service Union and workers have been protesting for weeks now against the meager five percent and has demanded between a 15% – 25% increase. However, these protests and demonstrations have not caused the Government to change its proposal.

The government maintains that it can only afford a five percent and has since made payouts in that regard. Opposition Political Leaders have since said that monies were approved in the National 2013 Budget for the Revision of Wages and Salaries, insisting that the increases should be at least 15% and called on the government to provide explanations in this regard.

Calls were also made for the Government to re-engage the union in the bargaining and negotiation process all of which is yet to be done.