DPSU concerned over non-payment of salaries to PWC employees

Letang said he has planned a meeting with PWC employees

General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU), Thomas Letang, has voiced his concern over non-payment of salaries to employees of the Public Works Corporation (PWC), revealing that they have not been paid for five fortnights.

Letang told Dominica News Online (DNO) during an interview on Thursday that it is a struggle the employees continue to face and the union is working on their behalf in order to resolve the matter.

“Five fortnights they have not been paid,” Letang said. “What I understand is that the last time they were paid was for the 11th of May and they were paid that salary at the end of June and since that time they have not been paid.”

According to the PSU General Secretary, the situation which was brought to his attention recently has prompted him to organize a meeting with the employees to discuss a way forward.

“That was recently brought to my attention and I have decided that sometime next week, I will be having a meeting with the staff so that we can take it from there,” he stated. “This is a long time to be working and not get paid, so that is the position.”

Letang went on to say that the union will be writing to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit requesting an audience with him to discuss the public works, “whatever issues that he may have and to see how we can work it out.”

“We did in a meeting with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit appeal to him to really make some monies available to bail out the Public Works,” Letang noted. “Coming out of that discussion I proposed that we should meet with the Prime Minister to discuss some of the concerns with regards to public works.”

The DPSU boss said with regard to the 20 employees who were laid off in June 2015 and who applied for redundancy, that payment was settled last month.

Over the years employees of the PWC have held protest action on several occasions over non-payment of salaries among a number of other issues.

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20 Comments

  1. Anthony P. Ismael: Minister of Free Pampers
    August 11, 2017

    With all the CBI money flying all over the place like hot bread and butter, I cannot believe that PWC employees are yet to get their pay. That Skerrit too wicked man. While he and the boys are building their many mansions and traveling all over the place like fools, the poor hard working citizens are being stiffed yet again. Labor working only for the Red Supporters. I guess it’s time for them to tie their waist and “Sousay Sel.” :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

  2. Dominican
    August 11, 2017

    I truly do not understand this. The Public Works Corporation is 100% owned by the government of Dominica. Why would the Minister of finance not see it fit to pay the employees of his own corporation what is supposedly rightfully due to them? It can not be for lack of funds as the recent budget presentation made clear.
    What is really going on?

  3. Amy
    August 11, 2017

    Is so “they” like it!

    I checking all of those public works fellas are either cowards or dumb.

    They should have all come together long ago and filed a class-action lawsuit against the Government of Dominica for non-payment of wages. (Note that I didn’t say against Skerritt)

    But no, some of them still on the compounds playing politics, so let them take what they get!

    Sorry, but I’m not sorry!

    Speaking Truth to Power!

  4. hhggtt
    August 11, 2017

    Thomas letang there robbing employees of c&s services making them pay union fees tk dpsu knowing well that he will hive them no representation cause dpsu is the parent company of c&s that is very much unfair the employees are paying union fees and cant get representation so I dont want to hear thomas letang ask for nothing on behalf of anyone.thomas his self is a d**n extortionist.I want them guys to get there money but I dont want to hear letang

  5. MacGyver nicholas
    August 11, 2017

    Thomas letang there robbing employees of c&s services making them pay union fees tk dpsu knowing well that he will hive them no representation cause dpsu is the parent company of c&s that is very much unfair the employees are paying union fees and cant get representation so I dont want to hear thomas letang ask for nothing on behalf of anyone.thomas his self is a d**n extortionist.I want them guys to get there money but I dont want to hear letang

  6. Tj
    August 11, 2017

    And the people continue to believe in the red clinic.

  7. ATKINSON
    August 11, 2017

    I guess Letang is not part of the “Evil Dr Supremo” cabal gang, so NO CBI money for him and the union

  8. Anansi
    August 11, 2017

    Ludicrous and unbelievable! Mr. Letang, Good day sir. I have the utmost respect for you. However, you must realize that you are on a ferris wheel. It is time to break out from that merry-go-round modus operandi, and try something new. Permit me to suggest an old tactic – the same tactic that was used by H.E. the Hon. Charles Savarin in 1978/79.

  9. Profet of doom
    August 10, 2017

    The passport market is not very lucrative anymore with u.s intervention, Drigo’s dasheen exports are not getting off the ground, Mr. Tong’s tourist industry is not cutting it and our mother country (Venezuela) has stopped laying the golden eggs _ we are looking at a gloomy picture, folks.

  10. NINETEEN SEVENTY NINE!!!!
    August 10, 2017

    Mr. Letang…you like playing Games.. SALARIES have not been paid at PWC as far back as april…this is the problem I have with you Mr. Letang… I remember calling your office some time ago about a similar situation.. u know the response I basically got.. I cannot report a matter affecting your members because I am not a member myself… really Mr. Letang… is that what representation of working people has come to…why to we continue to turn a blind eye to each other and separate ourselves from each other??aren’t we all Dominicans… we keep failing ourselves and each other over and over and over my Letang… enough of the lip service.. it is time to end the victimization of our working class regardless of what color they may support…are we one one flag? one people? one nation??

  11. ??
    August 10, 2017

    Shame shame shame people livelihoods we playing with!
    Stay strong my people God will provide doe go and beg

  12. shrewd
    August 10, 2017

    Send them to the red clinic they will get paid whether they work or not. Isn’t that ironic?

    • Anansi
      August 11, 2017

      The Red Clinic only pays a base allowance. Their monthly salaries were more than the welfare allowance per month. However a little is more than nothing, so that is a good idea.

  13. Shameless
    August 10, 2017

    Ok Mr.Letang, while I understand the difficulty in having the government UNFAILINGLY meet their obligations to the struggling folks despite their claim to having millions to spend you continue to disappoint me everytime. The same tune over and over again gets really old and the cabal knows thats what you will do. After what seems to be 100 years you got those laid of workers paid but you failed to close a good deal by accepting payment for them while ignoring those still a work. Bad bad bad.

    In the meantime you sir continue get paid on time without fail. In other words you bread gets buttered on time, everytime without fail while those who make this happen continue to beg for what is rightfully theirs. . I am begining to think that you have overstayed your welcome and someone more militant than you needs to take over. I am watching King!

    Assertive like the rod of Moses! :twisted: :twisted:

    • Ibo France
      August 11, 2017

      It’s abhorrent when one gets blame for someone else’s wrongdoings. The employer is solely to be blamed for the non payment of wages. Who is the employer? Government of course! Put the blame squarely where it belongs. What a heartless, soulless, uncompassionate government! Life is already so problematic for the working poor, just imagine the severity that they are presently experiencing now. Are they not people too? This is insane.

  14. Ibo France
    August 10, 2017

    This is heart-wrenching! These people already have a very difficult undertaking to provide adequately for themselves and their families from their emaciated wages. No concerned or caring government would visit such pain on these vulnerable citizens. Denying poor people their wages that they have honestly toiled laboriously for, is the pinnacle of wickedness.

  15. Concerned D/can not in a can
    August 10, 2017

    Hey my friend an classmate. Allyatolla did his in 77 then bigger in 79 now is your time to do an Allyatolla.
    LL just did a Skerrit left after critizing China earlier when they were getting money from Taiwan. Remember
    Skerritwent to the Chinese Embassy in 2004 without Pierro’s knowledge and negotiated then was set to elbow his way into the P.Mship enriching self in the process. Now is time your time be like Eddo and say you ae on stage & incharge.You have nothing to lose just to help the nation.

  16. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    August 10, 2017

    “Thomas Letang has voiced his concern over non-payment of salaries to employees of the Public Works Corporation (PWC),”

    Undeliverable, how could this be when we read not too long ago on DNO, where Roosevelt Skerrit told the nation, and the rest of the world that Dominica economy grew last year even more than that of the United States, and performed better than any of the islands in the region, although they are more developed than Dominica!

    If our economy is booming, even better than an industrialized island as Trinidad and Barbados, how come the government has no money to pay public workers?

    Each time Roosevelt lie, days later something must come to light to prove that warped minded, a liar!

    If overnight occupancy in tourism increased by 61.2% departure tax collected on departure should be enough to pay the workers. Dominica under Skerrit is a bankrupt country, that is because our economy is based on the sale of passports.

  17. Sextus
    August 10, 2017

    Pay them from your salary! Tonere. Everytime is the same old crap!

  18. %
    August 10, 2017

    That is why I refer to them fellas who are riding on the name DLP,as a gang of inconscionable “”misleaders””with no ideology or phylosophy..
    You mean with so many MILLIONS going all around the country,those hard working people cannot get paid?But again when people place square pegs in round holes,this must be the outcome.Skerrit who claimed to have been an english teacher cant even debate his opponent in english,how then can he lead a country,if is not into an abyss or destruction?
    WHERE THE WICKED RULE,THE PEOPLE MOURN!
    SKERRIT MUST GO
    SKERRIT MUST GO
    SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!

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