“Govt will never turn its back on sweeper/cleaners”- Labour Minister

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, May 07, 2018

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott has reaffirmed government’s commitment to working assiduously to resolve the sweeper/cleaners issue.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott.

Earlier in the year, janitors of public schools in Linden, Region 10, Upper Demerara/Berbice, protested in front of the Regional Democratic Council’s Office, demanding an increase in salary, better working conditions and to be employed as permanent workers.

Minister Scott said the matter will be given urgent attention in order to arrive at an amicable agreement for the janitorial workers.

“We are conscious that the cleaners need to be given greater attention. Their main concern is whether we will pay them for four or five hours of work, the same way we will pay someone who works eight hours. So those are the anomalies that will have to be worked out but we (government) will never turn our back on them.”

The minister was at the time responding to media operatives during the May Day celebration.

He added that the government has its workers at hearts and has been working assiduously to improve their working conditions. This is evident in the increase in minimum wage by over 50 percent, the income tax threshold by a minimum 20 percent, a reduction in marginal income tax rate to 28 percent and the minimum wage in the private sector was increased from $202 to $225 per hour.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur.

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