![Minister of State, Joseph Harmon [left] hands over the report to Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland.](https://i0.wp.com/www.caribbeantrakker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Minister-of-State-Joseph-Harmon-left-hands-over-the-report-to-Speaker-of-the-National-Assembly-Dr-Barton-Scotland..jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Georgetown: The report into the state of the Public Service was handed over to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on Wednesday.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in handing over the report to the Speaker said it was laid before Cabinet on Tuesday and Cabinet is now in the process of considering the recommendations that have been made by the Commission established to investigate the state of the Public Service.
Minister Harmon said Cabinet will express its opinion on the report and the recommendations therein after it has been thoroughly deliberated upon.
“It is important that we allow for the Speaker to get a copy of the report even before Cabinet has completed its deliberations. We intend to hand a copy of this report to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Unions that have anything at all to do with the public service.”
The Minister of State said that copies of the report will be handed over to the President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) as well as the Federation of Independent Trades Unions of Guyana (FITUG) before the end of the day.
Asked why he felt it necessary to give a copy of the report to Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Harmon said, “the Leader of the Opposition is a Constitutional office holder and he is in fact Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and we felt it important enough for him to receive an advance copy too.”
He could not state specifically what has been stated in the report relative to salary increases but noted that the report provides a framework within which salaries are to be negotiated.
“I don’t think the report actually says this is what you must do because of course you know those are issues that have to do with collective bargaining and the rights of the union and the government to negotiate on behalf of the workers.”
He said notwithstanding the framework, it is important to note that it is negotiations between the government and the unions by virtue of collective bargaining that will determine the increases public servants receive.
Describing the document as a “very detailed report” the Minister of State said the media will soon have access to it when it is published online.
Last Friday, Commissioners Professor Harold Lutchman, Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran handed over the report to President David Granger who called on Public Servants to relinquish “laziness” as they would receive increases based on their performance.
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