President Dr. Irfaan Ali has assured public sector workers that the Government will honour salary increases provided for under existing multi-year agreements, amid growing calls from opposition parties for substantial pay hikes before the Christmas holidays.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference on Friday, November 13, the Head of State reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fulfilling agreements negotiated with unions representing various categories of public sector employees.
He was responding to a question about whether the Government was considering salary increases for public servants before Christmas.
“The government has always honoured every agreement we make with workers, and of course we have a multi-year agreement, and we will be honouring our multi-year agreement in terms of the salary increases payable to every category of workers in those agreements,” President Ali said.
While reaffirming that commitment, the President did not announce a new across-the-board salary increase for 2026 or specify whether additional payments would be made before Christmas.
His remarks come as A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party have made separate proposals for significant increases in public servants’ salaries.
Multi-year agreements already in place
In December 2024, the Government signed a two-year agreement with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), providing for salary increases and improved employment benefits for public servants covering 2024 and 2025.
Under that agreement, public servants received a 10 per cent salary increase retroactive to January 1, 2024, followed by a further eight per cent increase for 2025.
The Government previously indicated that the adjustments brought cumulative salary increases for public servants to approximately 46 per cent over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025.
The agreement also introduced measures to address salary disparities within the public service, including adjustments based on employees’ years of service and positions on their respective salary scales.
Additional benefits included qualification allowances, increased travelling and housing allowances, scholarships and duty-free concessions for eligible nursing staff.
However, the GPSU agreement covered 2024 and 2025 and did not establish a new general public service salary increase for 2026.
Separate three-year agreements were also concluded with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the University of Guyana Workers’ Union, the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union.
Those agreements provide for salary increases of 10 per cent in 2024, eight per cent in 2025 and nine per cent in 2026 for the categories of workers covered.
In the case of teachers, the agreement also provides for an adjustment if a higher general public service salary increase is granted during the period covered.
APNU pushes for 25 per cent increase
President Ali’s assurance follows a formal request from APNU for public servants to receive a salary increase of no less than 25 per cent before Christmas.
In a letter sent to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on November 5, the opposition coalition called for the proposed adjustment to be retroactive to January 1, 2026.
APNU argued that the country’s expanding economy and growing petroleum revenues should translate into higher wages for workers facing increased living expenses.
The coalition also requested that the Government outline the financial implications of the proposed increase and how it could be sustained.
During Wednesday’s sitting of the National Assembly, APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul reiterated the call, saying the proposed adjustment would help public servants meet their financial obligations during the Christmas season.
WIN calls for salaries to double
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has also called for a substantial increase in public sector wages.
During an October 26 press conference, Mohamed proposed that public servants receive a salary increase of at least 100 per cent before the end of 2026.
He argued that existing wages were inadequate in light of the cost of living and Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil economy.
However, no detailed costing or financing arrangement was presented to explain how the proposed increase would be funded.
The Opposition Leader maintained that the country’s resources should allow public servants to benefit more directly from its economic growth.
Government maintains commitment to agreements
The Government has previously defended its approach to salary increases, pointing to successive annual adjustments, improved allowances and collective bargaining agreements negotiated with workers’ representatives.
In February 2026, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Zulfikar Ally told the National Assembly that the public sector wage bill had risen from approximately $127 billion in 2020 to $252 billion by the end of 2025.
The administration has also highlighted salary-scale adjustments and additional benefits introduced for several categories of public sector workers.
President Ali’s latest comments indicate that the Government intends to proceed with salary increases already negotiated under the applicable agreements.
However, it remains unclear whether the administration will consider an additional general salary adjustment for 2026 beyond those existing commitments.
The President did not provide a new percentage, payment date or specific response to the separate increases proposed by APNU and WIN.
