Statement in full
The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica commenced wage and salary negotiations for the 2009/2012 Triennium in December 2009 with the three Public Sector Representative Bodies, namely; Dominica Public Service Union, Police Welfare Association and the Dominica Association of Teachers, in keeping with Part IV of the Public Service Act Chapter 23:01of the Revised Laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
The Government’s proposal to the unions included, inter alia, an offer to pay wage and salary increase of 2% for 2009/2010 and that the outcome of a Human Resource Consultancy and Job Evaluation and Classification Exercise be awaited before continuing salary negotiations in respect of the periods 2010/2011 and 2011/2012.
Negotiations for the first year were successfully concluded. Government approved a 3% increase in wages and salaries, increase in allowances as well as other benefits as detailed hereunder:
| DPSU | PWA | DAT |
| One-time contribution of $150,00 towards the union’s Tertiary Education Fund | One-time contribution of $100,00 towards the Association’s Tertiary Education Fund | One-time contribution of $120,00 towards the Association’s Tertiary Education Revolving Fund |
| Increase in all allowances to health care workers ranging from 5% to 25% and introduction of new allowances | Increase in allowances and introduction of new allowances | $20, 000 annually towards teacher training summer workshops |
| Grant of travelling officer status to various offices in the Ministries of Health, Education and National Security | Allocation of six(6) residential land lots in Hillsborough Gardens, four (4) lots in Bellevue Chopin and ten (10) lots in Union Estate | Allocation of 30% of the Ministry of Education’s financial assistance budget to Public Officers, including Teachers |
| Payment of casual mileage to various officers | Grant of duty–free concessions on purchase of vehicles to Police Officers who are Travelling Officers | Provision of protective clothing for Technical/Vocational Teachers |
| One-time contribution of $18, 000 towards the union’s health and wellness programme | Grant of $100,000 towards the Association’s Health and Wellness Programme | Free medical attention for teachers injured on the job at government institutions and at private institutions locally and overseas |
| Grant of duty–free concessions on purchase of vehicles to Public Officers who are Travelling Officers | ||
| Allocation of 30% of the Ministry of Education’s financial assistance budget to Public Officers, including Teachers | ||
| $2,500 under the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programme for the unions ECEP. |
Additionally, Government has made funds available to the Government Housing Loan Board under in the amount of $7,498,841.35 to enable certain categories of Public Officers to obtain mortgages with an interest rate of 4%. To date, a total of 49 loans have been disbursed.
In the 2006/2009 Triennium, Government paid an increase of 6% and also approved the following benefits:
| DPSU | PWA | DAT |
| Increase in all allowances to Public Officers, except health professionals | Increase in allowances | Payment of a subvention as assistance for the conduct of the Association’s summer programme/workshop |
| Medical insurance to Customs and Fire Officers | $200,000 towards the Association’s Education Programme | $200,000 towards the Association’s Education Programme |
| $15,000 towards the union’s health and wellness programme | Three days paternity leave | $68,000 for the payment of the outstanding mortgage on the office building owned by the Association |
| $82,000 for the purchase of a two-bedroom model house for the establishment of a Day-Care/Nursery | Three days paternity leave to teachers | |
| $300,000 towards continuing education programmes for members | ||
| Three days paternity leave |
The Human Resource Consultancy, conducted by the Caribbean Centre for Administration Development (CARICAD) at a cost of EC$540,000 was concluded in August 2010, and copies of the seven reports have been provided to the unions, who were integrally involved in all components of the project throughout its duration.
Regrettably, there was significant protraction in the commencement of the Job Evaluation Exercise due to various challenges confronted with confirming the financing. Recognising the importance of the exercise, funds under the Medium Term Public Sector Reform Programme totaling approximately EC$400, 000, which had been allocated for other modernization activities in key sectors, were diverted to finance this activity.
The consultancy has commenced, and a CARICAD consultant visited from February 15 – 17, 2012 to conduct an assessment of the work undertaken by the Establishment, Personnel and Training Department from May 2010 in reviewing and revising all Job Descriptions in the Public Service in preparation for the exercise. The consultant has expressed great satisfaction with the extent and quality of the work of the Human Resource Management and Development Team and anticipates that the evaluation process will be significantly advanced as a result. The various evaluation committees are being constituted and will include representation from all three unions. Training of the committees will commence shortly, following which the full consultancy team will come in to continue the process.
The first Job Evaluation and Classification activity was conducted in the Dominica Public Service in the early 1990’s. Since then, a review has not been undertaken service-wide. Therefore, the findings and recommendations emanating from the exercise are important for effective and sustainable human resource planning and budgeting.
Section 25(1)(b)of the Public Service Act makes provision for the renewal of an existing agreement, with or without modification. Accordingly, Government has proposed to the unions that the 2009/2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement be extended to June 30, 2013. It is anticipated that by that date, the Job Evaluation would have been completed and the requisite decisions taken with respect to the recommendations to be implemented. Wage and salary negotiations in respect of the outstanding periods 2010/11 and 2011/2012 would then continue from a more informed position.
Discussions on this new proposal are continuing with the unions. Both the Dominica Public Service and the Police Welfare Association were unavailable to meet on Friday March 2, 2012. However, the meeting with the Dominica Association of Teachers progressed satisfactorily and the Government will await further communication from the DAT on its response to the proposal.
New dates for the meetings with the DPSU and the PWA will be arranged.
Government is confident that the dialogue with the unions will continue in the same harmonious spirit that has prevailed in the past and that the decisions arrived at will be mutually agreeable by all parties in the interest of sustained public sector growth and national development.
DPSU, your struggle is legitimate. Although Civil Servants are receiving a monthly salary, their disposable income is diminishing daily. Cost of living rises daily, yet the salary remains the same. A few are getting richer, while the majority of Dominicans, including Civil Servants, are getting poorer. He/she who feels it, knows it. Who in the kitchen feeling the unbearable heat.
There are hundreds of thousands of dollars available for Ministers medicals. Anytime they travel perks/money in their pockets. Are those politicians more important than us teachers?
Civil Servants must shake off the yoke of partisan politics and stand up, fight together with your Union, DPSU. If you do not, crapaud smoke your pipe, because your situation is getting worse. The majority of us continue to live from hand-to-mouth. DPSU will not relent. The struggle continues. We will continue the fight for what is really due to us. Govt. owes it to us.
DAT is already hooked. Who is the President nuh? For sure, any other party in Govt. would be pressured, maybe threatened with strike action already for the ‘Too-Back’ going on with their salary increases. It depends which political Party is in Govt. Big Govt. Advisers like peas. Ministers receiving all kinds of perks – travel, medicals, etc., etc. In addition, just recently, Govt. requested in Parliament and took hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical costs for Ministers, while the DGS teacher was refused a head scan for a blow to the head, while on the job because he had no money at the time.
Are the politicians more important people than the teachers or other civil Servants? It seems the civil servants love the politicians more than themselves. They have to beg for the increase, while the politicians easily get what they want financially or otherwise. Civil Servants like it so and will do nothing about it, even though their standard of living goes down and down daily. In fact, many of the civil servants themselves have given the politicians in power, the power to hold them down. Many accept any and everything and would say nothing.
they used to say the P on their forehead is not for pocket but for party… let them play politics with theire salary still.
I fully agree with all the comments asking teachers to withdraw their membership from DAT. TEACHERS DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT DAT LADY SAY.I am adding my voice too Teachers withdraw withdraw withdraw
They no how to hit dominicans wit stone eh. Wit all them high prices and taxes wat them 3% can do. Is 10 -20% increase in pay we need or mayb more than that. If not take de 3% and take out those high taxes that killing de poor people. Still cant believe people working for less than $200 a weak in dominica. Come on man all u can do better than. Dominica for dominicans
I work and live in the US I was given a pay increase of 20cts per hour. Do we need Dominica to be like St. Croix with 89 nurses being laid off because government can’t pay wages?
At 3% increase my salary would increase by $49.05 a month. From that $1.96 would be substracted for social security (that’s for this year only as next year social security will be increased from 4% – 4.25% and up the year after to 4.5% and so on). So my increase for this year would actually be equal to $47.09. So that means I acutally get about 28cts increase. Not so different from you.
The way I see things: Teachers are the least to benefit. We are the ones who spend the most but get the least. No overtime, no allowances for uniforms, charts we buy, chalk, duster and do not talk about feeding people children and giving them books, pencils etc.
Amagwaysa…….where teachers money go…teachers withdraw withdraw withdraw
Asked de DAT Lady what she do wit the money she receive on teachers behalf……She will start to give allu a set of lies lies lies. She good at that……Teachers withdraw from that…..uall are being used by that lady.
That review of the public service has been going on and on for years. And, given the history, it will continue to go and on. The PSU would be foolish to agree to continue with the status quo.
Teachers open up allu eyes……DAT is not interesting in allu.De lady is using allu for her own personal benefit which she has gotten inabudance………withdraw allu memembership.
Free medical attention for teachers injured on the job at government institutions and at private institutions locally and overseas.. Is this true? If so why wasn’t the scan done for the teacher who was injured on the job?
“and that the outcome of a Human Resource Consultancy and Job Evaluation and Classification Exercise be awaited before continuing salary negotiations in respect of the periods 2010/2011 and 2011/2012”.
People, why must our government play these tactical cards before us??? like we go to school on sunday??
sigh when will our elected leaders show some respect to the electorate???
when the electorate start punishing them for wrong doing. yo to sot
I am a Public Officer for 24 yrs. About 4 yrs ago I took a mortgage with GHLB. We were promised that the interest rate would be so attractive that no where else would beat it. To date what I have seen is juniour officer who just joined the service transacting mortgages at 4% & senior public officers like myself who remained through thick & thin to build the Public Service struggling to pay mortgages of 7.25%. I wonder whose brilliant idea was this. There is no guarantee that some of these junior officers will remain in the Public Service. Please someone tell me the logic behind this decision. At the end of the day the senior public officer will remain working poor since most of us have children in high school & university. These junior officers do not have these commitments as yet. Why were not they allowed to work at least 10 yrs in the system before granting them this concession? Unfair, unfair, unfair. Decision makers please try to motivate the senior officers who have given there sweat & toil to make the Public Service what it is.
The GHLB is not for Senior Public Officers it is for all officers….u sound very Jealous and jealousy brings about hate. Just thank God u are alive to enjoy the house u built.
Negotiations… “Free medical attention for teachers injured on the job at government institutions and at private institutions locally and overseas”.. isn’t that in the act already? I need to look at this more closely.
BUT ALL IN ALL WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC AS CIVIL SERVANTS. THE ECONOMY DOES NOT CATER FOR INCREASES NOW, IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL DOWN TURN. SO PLEASE BE PATIENT.
wouldn’t it be HONORABLE for some of those ministers to FORFEIT the perks that they enjoy on the BACKS of the people whom they want to be REALISTIC???????????????????????
HARD WORKING PUBLIC OFFICERS DO NOT BENEFIT FROM GOVERNMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WITH AID BANK. WHEN WE GO FOR THE HOUSING LOANS OUR SALARIES ARE TOO SMALL WE CANNOT GET IT AND HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT, SO WE ARE DECLINED. WE DO NOT GET DUTY FREE IF WE ARE ACTING IN POSITIONS AND TOO MUCH TIME IS TAKEN TO APPOINT THOSE OF US ACTING. WE DESERVE STOP PUTTING THE FIGURES SAY THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BENEFITTING.
utter rubbish.who allu think allu fooling with allu utter-rubbish
But, de opposition was in the house when all that took place!
them ministers salary should be decreased by 10% practically some of them u hardly hearing anything is like they just collecting the money
MINISTERS OF GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD REGULARLY AND WITH ALL THE TRAVELS THEY RECEIVE MONEY AS TRAVELLING EXPENSES ,THEREFORE, WHY DONT THEY CUT DOWN ON THE TRAVELS IN OTHER TO CUT DOWN ON EXPENSES.IT IS ALLEDGED THAT THE PM TRAVELS APPROXIMATELY TWENTY DAYS IN A MONTHS,WHY DOESNT HE CUT HIS TRAVELS.DOMINICA HAS MINISTERS AND AMBASSADORS LIKE PEAS,I SAY CUT OUT ALL THAT FAT AND TREAT THE PUBLIC SERVANTS WITH HONOUR.
Wage negotiations, there is no negotiation there; where DPSU is concerned; the DPSU is 80% inefficient, Inactive and powerless…….
Very Impressive…its time Dominican’s start moving back to DA
For what may I ask?
Maybe for not being a slave in another man’s country for starters…maybe build your own country too
to be a slave in their own country is what she means
Oh please, thats three to fours years past, who alu trying to fool? public officers knows better than that; who benefiting from what alu saying there nuh. Johs classification strategy failed so alu trying something else? with whom alu negotiated what alu saying there? how comes is only DAT that was at that meeting? we smell a rat!