The Mayor and City Council has indicated that it will be going to the court to clarify the role and function of the Local Government Commission regarding human resources management at the council.
According to City Mayor, Ubraj Narine, the move to Court because the local government commission has indicated to take over the responsibility of the Human Resources Department.
At a press conference hosted on Tuesday to update the public on the statutory meeting held on Monday, Mayor Narine cited the Local Government Act section #18 of 2013 which he said paves way for the hiring and dismissal of city workers.
He explained
“according to the act and the constitution of Guyana where it stated there should be an establishment and the constitution stated what really this commission ought to do it is something different with the act giving more power to the commission.”
Chief Council Oscar Clarke who is in charge of the Human Resources Department said before,
“if an officer is going on leave they have to approve the council and then send to the Local Government Commission as usual.”
However, he explained that the commission’s intervention is posing challenges to the council
“Now they insist that without it coming to us we must not see it before it comes to them now they are telling the town clerk to file this and let it come to me so we don’t know which councillor is going off on leave and when.”
Furthermore, on the topic of leave for employees, the Chief Council explained that the council would recommend persons to fill these positions when a person is expected to go off on leave, however, the commission does not act on these recommendations.
The city Mayor has once again reiterated that he is willing to work with the Local Government Commission while pointing out that he is hopeful the court will give a “fair judgement” on this matter.
