Civil servants to experience fatter pockets month end

Public officers will see the results of a salary agreement between the Dominica Public Service Union (PSU) and Government this month, General Secretary of the PSU Thomas Letang has assured.

Negotiations ended with both parties settling for a three percent salary increase for public officers, a wage that will be paid by the end of January.

“At the end of this month public officers will be paid their retroactive pay and government owes them for about 17 months, so that
is three percent for 17 months,” Letang said.

Public officers will also see new benefits as part of the salary negotiations, which include duty-free concessions for travelling public officers, and increases in allowances for health care professionals.

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63 Comments

  1. sad
    January 20, 2011

    it’s just so sad to see how we address each other because we have a difference of opinion…so sad indeed.

  2. The truth
    January 19, 2011

    The economy in much the world is bad. Almost all people in the first world ain’t even getting bonuses. A 3% bonus is better than nothing. Dominicans never satisfied with anything. I bet the people here talking about it’s nothing are the same ones who stay home and do nothing saying it ain’t got jobs.

    I left foreign and came home on holiday, being me, I couldn’t sit doing nothing and went out to work for my lil $45 a day while they sayi Dca ain’t got work. It better than nothing. And is not have I don’t have. Anything in better than nothing. It could be a half % rise. Bring it on.

    Allu fail to realise that other countries people work three four jobs to stay afloat. Way I look at it Dominicans can do alot more to help themselves rather than sitting down and blaming gov.

    Oh, and I’m not a skerrit lover. Just facts

  3. Honestly.......
    January 19, 2011

    Of all the people who complain about not getting enough money, what percentage of them,

    treat customers right?

    reach work on time and leave later than closing time?

    take 2-hour lunch breaks?

    spend more time on social networks?

    produce mediocre work?

    and never change their defeatest mindest?

    I have realized that getting more money will not neccesarily change some workers in the public service. More money won’t change a public servant with an entrenched poor attitude to work and clients. It won’t change someone who prefers to complain and give poor service.

    There are public servants who honestly deserve more for what they do but plenty more just laze around.

  4. M
    January 18, 2011

    3% lol geeez… thats $30.00 a month…extra, now value added tax on everything and income tax = pretty much nothing…. How does someone say a primary school teacher survive on $1200 EC a month. HOW? How will $30.00 help?

  5. Oh well
    January 18, 2011

    For some reason I cannot comment underneath the same thread to answer “WELL WELL” and “SIMPLE MIND”

    @ Simple Mind; there are SOME dedicated teachers and KUDOS to them! I had some really DEDICATED teachers in my years of school both here and abroad. On your point about salary not being enough and hence the reason for going to Fast Cash is just a farce. My salary isn’t as big as i want it to be as i am very qualified and have returned home instead of staying in Uncle Sam’s country, BUT I MAKE DO WITH WHAT I HAVE! I SAVE and collect money to buy the essential things. MOST people are just running for loans upon loans so they can be in style and their children hungry or they cannot pay their bills. Some of them have so many DEDUCTIONS on their salary slip that they cannot even AFFORD the very loans they want. Deductions for Courts, Astaphans, RCCU, NBD and the list goes on. So maybe if they manage their salary better and SAVE more the same ‘little salary’ you are speaking about could work.

    @ WELL WELL, I do not LOVE my job as you said but i arrive at work every morning by 7:35am and most times i leave at 6pm. Even though you do not love your job it pays the bills and therefore you must appreciate it and give the best service that you can! So your point about me loving my job is MOOT! Secondly, I DO NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN however, I assist my cousins and friends children with their assignments whenever I can. So believe me I know the hard work that teachers face and the effor they put into it. So the children you have to fight with to learn in school aren’t mine neither those of my relatives as we know the IMPORTANCE of EDUCATION and are DEDICATED TO enhacing our lives. So say that for the parents that are too busy putting ‘nails’ and buying accessories and clothes to attend all shows taking place and too busy bb-ing or texting to help their children with their homework.

    Peace!

  6. 3% already swallowed up
    January 18, 2011

    By how many % has the cost of living risen during the past 17 months? By the time the Civil Servants receive the 3% increase, they would be in debt. Do the maths. The 3% on their salary has already been EATEN away. So what is the hooray about?

    The politicians of the DLP Govt. conveniently took from the TAX PAYERS of Dominica, their EMPLOYERS, almost 50% increase on their salaries. They did not negotiate with or ask the hard working Tax Payers for the increase, they just took it. It wasn’t because they were working any better or more efficient, because check the state of the economy.

    In addition to the monthly thousand plus dollars for health purposes each of them receive and all the dollars made from PERKS, whenever they travel, they grabbed that 50% increase on the backs of Dominicans. As if that wasn’t enough, Skerritt and his DLP folks placed a ‘BIG GOVT’ on the people, many square pegs in round holes, created JOBS for the BOYS, MINISTERS and ADVISERS like PEAS.

    One of their cohorts, still hold TWO BIG POSTS, that of NAO to the EU as well as Political Adviser to Govt. He is receiving TWO BIG SALARIES. Almost two years now Govt. say they looking for someone to fill the post of National Authorizing Officer to the EU. JIK APWESAN (up till now).

    Civil Servants, accept the SMALL MERCY, but is NOTHING to JUMP UP about. In the meantime, some persons, High Up in Public Office and others in and with Power, are ENRICHING themselves through all sorts of illegal and controversial means. On the other side of the coin poverty increases especially among the RURAL FOLKS. The standard of living is declining. Unemployment is rising. The economy is in shambles.

  7. overlooker
    January 18, 2011

    well look drama a 3% causing. name calling and so much dabah.
    the fact remains that what we are getting so that what we have to take.

    FYI: i am on my lunch break

  8. Pepper
    January 18, 2011

    Thanks again to Prime Minister Skerritt

    • informed ...
      January 18, 2011

      Thanks to which prime minister…please,you not seeing is THOMAS LETANG that negotiating for public servants. people come on…read again and come back….all skerrit care about is himself and his pocket…so…get the picture

    • Peppered
      January 18, 2011

      Thanks to the Minister or the Ministry of Finance or thanks to the Tax Payers of the country? You are so blinded by the one-man show and so partisan that you fail to appreciate that it is not Skerritt’s money but that of the hard-working people. Do you pay taxes? Do you understand what your tax money is used to do? Taxes collected by Govt. Pay Civil Servants, build or repair roads, schools, pay other Govt. workers etc. etc. So pleaseeeee give kudos and thanks to whom it rightfully deserve it. For your knowledge, the huge amount of dollars, the wealth Skerrit has accumulated in the short time in Public Office, through allegedly controversial means, feel certain that the people will not receive a red cent from it. Are you one of those fooled to believe that is Skerritt’s money that he is dishing out ? Think again.

      • possie
        January 19, 2011

        people please like allthe other politicians that were there before the Skerrit they have all filled there pockets, so what are you saying if you are going to point fingers then start from the the begining. There is developments there is growth am getting an increase my peers are going to study. we are at the top of our game in the caribbean when it comes to our economy,. you running your mouth have you been to antigua or st. lucia o any other caribbean island things are bad everywhere.

  9. headache
    January 18, 2011

    wish it was me getting a salary monthend…so long i graduate from college and i cannot get a job

    • scappy coco
      January 20, 2011

      you are not getting a job because you are lazy and not self motivated or you are jealousy in the sense where the job you want is not the job you worth

  10. .............
    January 18, 2011

    yeah I expect that’s a good strategy like any other….keep people broke and poor for as long as possible and then give them a measly 3%, they’ll be extremely grateful. I suppose that’s a brilliant strategy for real.

  11. Shanzie
    January 18, 2011

    :mrgreen: Thank you some people struggle to eat. but the word says for everything give thanks. For this I a grateful. If you have a little faith and patience more is yet to come. More than we can ask or think.

    Amen :-P 8)

  12. reasoning
    January 18, 2011

    ok lets say am getting a salary of 1500 am only going and get $45 extra. waw fatter wallet.

    • mouth of the west
      January 18, 2011

      well madam can u do me a favour and send that $45.00 to mu accounts..because unlike u i need it!

      • Charmer
        January 18, 2011

        How u so sure it’s a madam

  13. Natasha J... boogie down
    January 18, 2011

    sometimes i just shake my head at the comments…3% increase is usually what companies give there employees esp in this day and age. After all they are lucky they are even getting 3 percent raise in this economy. There are people in the US right now that have agreed to work 4 days a week instead of the standard 5 just to keep there jobs (paycut), so the people talking about 10% and 7% puhhhlleeasseeeeeee get real. We need to learn to appreciate the small things in life, don’t be ungrateful. You know what i would do right now to get 3% raise right here in NY hummmmm.. Dominicans living in dominica got it sweet yo. Another thing i have noticed is the same folks talking bout it’s not enough etc guess what most of them maybe ain’t got no damn job, they maybe relying on welfare or someone else to put food on their table. Some cleaning toilets and making 2 minimum wage in people’s country but they there complaining… get reallll folks..

    • but
      January 18, 2011

      what the hell is your point? even a minimal job at mcdonalds is more than my monthly salary.

      • possie
        January 19, 2011

        then go work at mcdonald

  14. young
    January 18, 2011

    i mean come on ppl….its something right……gotta start small before u get to big……dominicans should at least be grateful for ceratin things…..it have ppl, that struggling to get what allu getting and here still allu being ungrateful. jah man

    • curious
      January 18, 2011

      where? tell me where?

    • where
      January 18, 2011

      where ? .thats why we moving no where. every where else passing us by, when we spoke of international airport people like u saying thats to much of a big move <when other caribbean island is on there third one

      • curious
        January 18, 2011

        shut your trap! u have no idea what my thoughts/positions are…

      • scappy coco
        January 20, 2011

        where it tells me that you dont read and listen to international news but rather sit listen to people and come on dno and bump your bleeding gums but you are alike lennox and the others listening to roadside stories,you are a high educated kcaj ssa

  15. FORKIT
    January 18, 2011

    that is money compare to de 52% dey get one time… after a year and half…. that is BS.. hungry dominicans praising that

  16. SISTA
    January 18, 2011

    Please!!!!!! give me a break…. 3% of $1267.00 is $38.01 multiply that by 17 months you get $646.17. Don’t forget to deduct the tax and social security from it. You may end up with $400. So you have to wait for 17 months to get $400.00.

    • Kimm Jamm
      January 18, 2011

      I agree is not much Sista but is something. But to correct you Junior Clerks (temp.) get a little over $1,400.00 now. So the figure you gave was from way back when.

    • ROCKSY
      January 18, 2011

      Let me do the Maths for you will only pay $36.97 PAYE and $76.53 social security so that will leave you with $1,799.67 so i not sure how you work it out to be $400

      Stop this negativity…. get your facts in fact that PAYE is refundable because your salary (Not the old nor the new) attracts income tax, it is way below the thresh hold!!!

      • fanchiface
        January 18, 2011

        Junior clerk (Temps) do not pay tax in the first place.

        • ROCKSY
          January 18, 2011

          Where u get that from?? Once you making over the thresh hold ($20,000 pa) you will pay income tax whether you temping or not Junior clerk or not!!

          That’s why i insist persons must educate themselves before they just belch!!!

  17. reality
    January 18, 2011

    i think that they should put a 0 after de 3 to make it 30% cost of living already so high in Dca. trust me on dat!!!!

    • young
      January 18, 2011

      cost of living high in dca…that u say….we have it good hear…go antigua and u will know what high cost of living is

      • where
        January 18, 2011

        but what is their salary compare to ours ?

    • JB
      January 18, 2011

      i agree with you that the price of living is high. i live on another caribbean island where as a senior officer i make 3,000.00 + and reading the comments of another individual i see that junior clerks make a little over $1400.00 wow (junior clerks start at $2,200.according to qualifications here). the last time i went to dominica i went to the all famous ‘Save-a-lot’ and was greatly disappointed. there were only a few items i could pick out of the whole store that were cheaper compared to where i live now, alot of things were more expensive. clothes and shoes are the same price. so yes in that case Dominica’s price of living is costly. i must say though the only thing that is cheap is the ground provision. you can get five big oranges for $2.00 (the last time i purchased them) when i have to buy one orange for $2.00 here. here, i have to weigh bananas, plantains potatoes etc. it’s crazy but people no matter what we have to give God thanks and appreciate the little we have. Other people have it worst. look at the people in hait or in Africa……let’s give God his praises.

  18. marzhie
    January 18, 2011

    dat good man ….beg we have to beg for our own money because as a people we cant unite to ask for our money….18-3 and wee still cant unite…well all dat good cause on DNO nad facebook civil servants on whole day …..so take allu 3% in stead of 18% 18 -3 …mama

  19. REAL
    January 18, 2011

    Thats a well deserved increase. When u have ministers that spend sometimes 2 hours or less in their offices getting increase and hard working SERVANTS get nothing that cannot be right. Thank u PSU and i trust that negotiations continues.

    • Kimm Jamm
      January 18, 2011

      Can you believe the Ministers are getting the increase and the back pay? They make three or four times the salary of the working servant and they still want more.

    • Annonymous Reader
      January 18, 2011

      dats not an increase that’s backpay

  20. Negre marwon
    January 18, 2011

    Long overdue! It’s about time.Civil servants don’t be too elated. Inflationary prices for goods and services
    in Dominica will eat up that misely increase..enjoy!!

    • Kimm Jamm
      January 18, 2011

      AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. Praying
    January 18, 2011

    Let’s take what we get and give thanks, for little is much when God is in it. Pray for the government of Dominica

  22. Hard working Public Servant
    January 18, 2011

    First of all let me say that I am absolutely disgusted with this union for accepting this 3% salary increase. I am a Public Servant and for all my hard work that I put in day in day out this salary increase is not worth it. I know the general opinion out there is that Public Servants:

    come to work late
    leave as its four o’clock
    give poor service to the public

    well i can only speak for myself and the other hard working ones out there who:

    come to work on time
    give good service to the public
    never hesitate to work overtime to get the work done and by the way leave work about six everyday and sometimes don’t claim overtime for these extra hours and which overtime stupes these rates are ridiculously low.

    So Mr.Letang next time you go to the drawing board come back with better news. Consider the hard working Public Servants out there who sacrifice even some of their family time to get the work of the Government done.

    • V
      January 18, 2011

      If you are a civil servant what are you doing on line commenting on a message board when YOU SHOULD BE AT WORK.
      NOW GO DO WHAT I AM PAYING YOU FOR.

      • mouth of the west
        January 18, 2011

        V shut u garbage mouth!! the time stamp is 1:42 am u wanker! and let people express themselves! coming and talk about working for u! and u working for some one else!

        fool.

  23. massacre
    January 17, 2011

    3% my god what kind of bs union is that? I am looking to hear 10% increase for all tha hard work and abuse people have to take in gvt department and wait 17 months wtf?

    • AC
      January 18, 2011

      Well, is just 3% and it might be another 10 years before the next 3%, but they have a little back pay coming, so that will help.

    • Oh well
      January 18, 2011

      What abuse ppl taking in gvt department? You mean civil servants who STROLL in to work at 8:15 and leave at 3:45pm?
      You mean the same civil servants you have to pratically BEG before they can hang up the phone or stop their conversation about a man or another person’s business to attend to customers?
      You mean the same civil servants who call to inform their friends of people’s business?
      Or you mean the same civil servants who have NO IDEA what customer service relations and competence is?
      Massacre, come again eh! Untill civil servants can improve the way they deal with customers (public) the 3% increase is damn good as far as i am concerned! Besides is by fast cash all of them dying anyway.

      • young
        January 18, 2011

        thats really true eh trust me….i have seen in with my eyes…..

      • simple mind
        January 18, 2011

        @ oh well…you also mean de teachers dat go to school 8.30–4.00 to struggle with de children you cannot help at home? their salary so nothing you dont expect dem to by fast cash to finiance their stifling budgets.?

        • a teacher/public servant
          January 18, 2011

          i support u 150%..i am a teacher who works more with your children and spend more time with them than you do..do you even know the roles teachers play..so shut that hole in yr face when u dare speak about us teachers..God know’s were already being underpaid for all our hard work and effort..so put a sock in yr darn mouth!!!!

          shait man!!!!!

      • Lizavier4Jesus
        January 18, 2011

        Oh well, at least you guys are right there, waiting for them to hang up the phone. Where I now live, they tell you to go home and call them. That is the truth!

        I went to an office of the social services, one time, and they would not serve me person to person; even if it was just to make a appointment to see someone on another day. They gave me a phone number to go home and call to make the appointment.

        But when you call them from home, they put you on hold, with music in your ears. When the music stop and you hear a voice, it is just to tell you again: “someone will be with your shortly” and the music comes back on again. O dear!

        • WEL WELL
          January 18, 2011

          i like what simple mind sad .. teachers tryin to do what parents not doing .. and regards to dat 8 15 ting .. cause u workin in a private business and u better paid u will reach work early cause u love your job .. but if u give petty cash .. and plus to move up in ministry is pull string .. u would obvious dont like your job that much .. so unless u in the shoe please shut up and speak for yourself not for others .. when ppl goin thru stress you dont know ..

  24. mouth of the south
    January 17, 2011

    what is 3% nah lol,,,, google just increase salaries by 15%,,, i mean we don’t have resources like that,,,but consider what i sayin,,,in d.a when u hear of increase is always some petty figure that makes little difference except on paper,,,,let me see a 7% increase etc,,,then i’ll say ok,,,,tings happening

    • Mahaut
      January 18, 2011

      MOTS….
      Google is a private company just to make you know. I work for the state as a teacher in the US…Every year I get an increase which is called a step…However, when the state offers salary increases it is usually between 2% and 3%.
      So before you just comment just to comment, do a little research. You cannot compare apples to stones to make a point.

      • Annonymous Reader
        January 18, 2011

        Mahaut, just shut up, alright??? Because to compare your salary as a teacher in de states is ridiculous….even using the conversion rate of US$1 = EC$2.67, a qualified primary school teacher salary at present, after TWENTY-FIVE YEARS in services is still $2800. So don’t come on here and try to justify yourself. In addition,in de states, the price of food dollar for dollar is still cheaper….it always have sales in the States so you can see your way….Merchants down here only give sales when the goods ready to expire or the clothes out of style and i haven’t even started to talk about utilities as yet. So please just know what you’re talking about.

        • Mahaut
          January 18, 2011

          Anonymous,
          first of all i never compare my salary to that of no body in Dominica. I was merely saying how much salary increase that I would get, which is the same Percentage that the Public Servants are getting Dominica. Secondly, I do not have to convert my money EC, because I do not use EC up here. So a dollar is a dollar…If you want to still compare dollar, my mortgage is roughly 700 a month, that would amount to roughly EC1900, my utilities are about the same. So what the hell you talking about conversion rate, I still pay for same things that anybody in Dominica would pay for.

          Remain anonymous, with your little mental capacity.

  25. Anonymous
    January 17, 2011

    Its about time

  26. Mr Sout City
    January 17, 2011

    3%? smh…..

  27. AC
    January 17, 2011

    Let me call my sister. I need some money.

  28. for real?
    January 17, 2011

    Excellent! I just wish that it were a little more, but thanks.

    • One Love
      January 18, 2011

      :?: …..EXCELLENT ……….. :?:

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