
In a move that’s sure to stir political debate and cheer across the public sector, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo confirmed on Thursday that the long-promised 8% salary increase for public servants will hit pay slips before Guyanese head to the polls on September 1.
“It doesn’t make sense you pay the public servants after,” Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly press conference, shrugging off concerns about the timing. The announcement adds a new layer of urgency, and perhaps strategy, to an already heated election season.
The raise is part of a two-year deal brokered with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) in late 2024, hailed at the time as a breakthrough in public sector wage negotiations. That agreement granted a 10% retroactive increase from January 1, 2024, followed by the now-confirmed 8% bump in 2025.
The Vice President offered no explanation for the delay, even as pressure mounted in recent months. In May, the GPSU publicly expressed its disappointment that the Government had not honored the payment timeline agreed upon in the contract.
Jagdeo’s announcement comes at a politically sensitive time, just ten weeks ahead of national elections. Critics say the move smacks of vote-buying, while supporters argue it’s a long-overdue payout that workers have earned.
“This isn’t a gift,” said one public servant outside a downtown government office. “It was promised. We signed on the dotted line. So why should we have had to wait this long?”
The two-year agreement also includes a 10% retroactive salary increase for 2024 and other incentives, including scale adjustments and qualification-based allowances. But delays in execution have raised broader questions about accountability in public sector negotiations.
Jagdeo also used the press conference to address concerns over public assistance payments. After weeks of complaints from citizens, he confirmed that the Ministry of Human Services has resolved the internal issues that had stalled the distribution of public assistance books.
“I hope that everyone gets their books now,” he said, adding that other social support programs have already resumed.
He also pointed to a new initiative targeting long-time National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributors. Persons who have made more than 500 but fewer than 750 contributions are now eligible to apply for a one-off government grant.