Angry public officers assembled in mass numbers at the Public Service Union headquarters on Valley Road in Roseau on February 7, 2012 where they passed two resolutions dealing with “salary negotiation IRO 2009-2012,” and “productivity in the public service.”
They have also given the government “seven days to reply to them or face protest action.”
Public officers are very angry at a statement made by government productivity consultant Parry Bellot that 80 percent of the public sector are not pulling their weight.
Former president of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) Mervin Anthony who addressed the gathering called on public officers to “speak out, be brave…and not afraid and get ready for action.”
“Once again public officers are under attack by those who sit in big chairs in those two big building getting big salaries and doing no work. And so public officers are becoming the scapegoat. We are here to tell Parry (Bellot) and all the others that we will not stand for that disrespect,” Anthony stated to loud applause.
“We cannot let sleeping dogs lie…..we must speak and act now and go forward and forward together,” he said calling on members to be united in propsed protest action.
In his address to members, General Secretary of the DPSU Thomas Letang called on members to be “united” in the actions that are to come.
“We have to stand together….We will be embarking on some form of protest action to make our position clear. I want to tell you that you have power, you can make and break people…but you have to be united,” Letang stated while denouncing the Parry Bellot statement about an alleged 80 percent lack of productivity in the public service.
The members present unanimously passed two resolutions calling on government to bring a speedy end to salary negotiations and mandating the “executive committee of the DPSU to utilize all available resources to mobilize the general membership to participate in any action which may be deemed necessary to bring closure to negotiations in respect of triennium 2009-2012 by June 30, 2012.”
The second resolution calls on the union to express in writing to the Government of Dominica on behalf of its members “profoundest outrage and displeasure over that statement and demand that the government of Dominica disassociates itself from the statement as acknowledgement that it does not reflect government’s position and seek a retraction from Parry Bellot”.
The Union was asked to consolidate any intended protest action to deal with that matter and matters related to salary negotiation IRO 2009-2012 in the event that it does not receive a favorable response from the government within seven working days following receipt of its letter.
PURE EMOTIONAL ACTION AND NO RATIONALISATION,HOW CAN YOU GIVE THE GOVERNMENT AN ULTIMATUM FOR A STATEMENT MADE BY AN EMPLOYEE,,VERY RUDE,UNETHICAL,KINDAGARTEN RESPONSE,,WHICH SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT PARRY HIMSELF,,,THE DPSU GENSEC IS NOT PROVIDING LEADERSHIP ON THAT ONE BUT ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE INFLUENCED NOT BY RATIONAL THINKING ,,,,
I do not agree with the 80/20% rating, but this is his view on the mater just as we too have our own views. However, if any of us look around on our jobs there are those who really form the fool at work.This is our DA but really we need to do better in some instances. DO a follow up see how many state offices are children p;aying field during working hour. Yes they can be there but not as staff. Let us do better for DA. There is ceertainly room for improvement
@roseau lady..i really wonder how u know all that.guess u are a member of the lynch mob too-a member of the gestapo..a spy for the cabal…doh worry your day will come.take off the dirt from your eyes before u attack mr.anthony..you have laundry to take care of!!!
Why are you so defensive tetsi, when you know its the truth. I am only a customer and saw it happen that Sunday morning. I am no more a spy than you when you know its the truth and nothing but the truth. Stop being so Hypocritical and bias.
There are 18 ministers and 7 Advisors who have nothing to show for the tax money they receive. Civil servants are the ones collecting the taxes and providing the limited services to the Dominican people. It’s ashame for the Government to call them lazy.
Bella you speak the truth! Jah Bless.
This is just a way to get the civil servants to feel they are represented. As Letang said (and I over heard} If it not for money he does not have the members interested so he has to look for ways to keep them interested.
In my view 80% is a unfair figure.
I’m only going to use my experiences to make my comment.
I have dealt with various officials at Customs/Immigration/Police HQ/and Traffic and can honestly say that I have found them all (bar one or two, and always females) very helpful.
My problem is not with Public Sector Workers, but the private sector ones.
What Mr Anthony and Mr Letang should be doing is finding out which areas that needs improvement(s)and make adjustment(s).
Despite the figure 80, 60, 50% whatever, there is much truth that the Civil Service is inefficient. We all know that to be true. What bothers me is the fact that Mr. Letang has not addressed the issue. Instead of taking the opportunity to address the issue with the masses, which showed up, he took another direction in the conversation. Why not A) conduct your our survey B) sit with Mr. Bellot and discuss each others findings C) come to a concensus D) discuss the findings and solutions with cabinet and the PSU body E) open it to ammendments F) put it to a vote G) retro activtly execute the plan.
Even the PSU is unproductive.
For all you money yes, protest…but forget the Parry thing, it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Letang should not look at this as political but to strike for what Parry Bellot said..Come on Man!!!
Letang has given up any sort of responsibility on the percieved productivity and has draw a line in the sand and is on a path to strike.
If I were Letang, I would pull up my socks and call a meeting with the union and send a letter to every member and tell them take heed.
Everyone of us in Dominica knows that you call Ministry and the phone rings and rings forever. And we all know of other situations
So Letang what is the hoopla.
You are the greatest idiot and the most accomplished lazy beggar and sycophant who blogg on this medium.
You have no idea of what you are responding to,you are simply doing what you are best at which is singing for you supper, but even that you cannot do well,because you seem to be to lazy and ignorant to do so.
JOB WELL DONE LETANG. I SUPPORT THE MOVE!
Mr. Anthony, if you want the Sunday off to go and preach at your church ask for it but dont just leave the airport compound you are in charge of in govt black hyundai Getz and go do your peaching and come back after service, undressed in the Getz and then walk into the building with you lunch bag and have customers waiting because one young lady alone is there and have to send in customers 4 at a time because she is new. You are now asking your members to protest. What example are you sending when you do that. A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.
Parry Bellot gave that 80/20 % figure of his head. I bet there’s no documentary evidence on his part to support his claim of that percentage, and I wonder how many people he ever interviewed.
mr barry is rite and we public servants know dat
I have been a Cicil Servant for all of 31 years and I have always been concerned with the work output of some of us Civil Servants.
Mr. Bellot maybe wrong but he maybe right also, what I believe Mr. Latang should do is have his own poll /survey and see what his results would be. Had Mr. Bellot say that the was 80% productivity rate in the Public Service would that satisfy him, hell yes
But to me 80% productivity is much too low for a Public Service and for a country striving to fight the global recession.
I support no political party but cannot but asked Mr. Latang are you planning to sign another pay increase for the Next General Election with the UWP as you did in 2000?
I have not heard any call from Mr. Latang asking us to up our game and be extremely productive at work? I have not heard Mr. Latang say to some of the Civil Servants Public Workers to stop making unauthorised photo copies of government documents and passing it on to persons who are not entiltled to have them? Is Mr. Latang satisfied when at all times of the day some of us is seen all over Roseau and elsewhere when we should be doing what we are being paid for?
These are some of the areas I’m totally against as a Public worker and wish that Mr. Latang would address and help make the union strong again.
Government comes and government goes but out country remains, we as public officials need to be more productive.
I won’t be supporting any action until Mr. Latang take a stand against low productivity.
Once u can be saying that it’s clear u were not at the meeting yesterday. So have a seat. your comment is irrelevant.
ask yourself this – what affects productivity?
i think all sort of things does. we do have many lazy public officers and i say FIRE THEIR !!! we need to stop making those that working so hard under tough conditions look as if they are doing nothing
the solution is simple = YOU SLACK OFF – THEN BUZZ OFF!!
U are a traitor…..u sound very suspicious…its interesting to see that u not sure whether u should support Parry all the way with his claim but u will stand boldly against ur fellow union members…..its obvious u have a political bias as concerns Mr. Letang. Only the membership has the power, power is in strength in numbers……u have counted yourself out.
come out my people let us to some thing that will enhance our standard of living.Our people forget about God and put politician first.I fear no man the only person i should fear is God. I ready to take action nutin will stop me. man that dont even have a high school certificate in government making more money than me, and still talking about productivity. When the day come count me in i have nutin to loss, than to improve my standard of living.
i was in D A and went to get a death certificate i was the third person in line do u know how long i had to wait while the clerks were eating their snacks getting up to talk a secret and have no regards for we the people standing there. It a about 945 am when it was my turn it took 2 minutes and I waited for almost an hour looking at them gossip Mr Bellot is right
Laissez-faire attitude in DA.
That’s a fact!! Why don’t we protest about that!!!
Generally thru out the world most civil servants are laid back.
The statement is true for Da and the caribbean Islands government workers.
The only question I have for the general public or people on this blog is, should Mr.Bellot have sugar quoted his statement in a diplomatic way?
I support you fully. Maybe Mr Latang would have been extreme elated to know that he has a civil service with an 80% productivity rating?
Any rating under 95% in any sector is deemed unproductive and Mr Latang should take time off and rethink his position.
I heard Mr Latang this morning on the news and he sounds as the “Big Bad Wolf” the workers at PWD have family and must work or else. Mr. Latang comes accross as being a bully ready for confrontation instead of being part of the solution.
I live in the USVI where the government has laid off about 1000 employees, Hess/Hovensa has laid off 2200 employees and the multiplying effect would take that munber to about 6-8 thousand employees, what would Mr. Latang reaction be?
One worker is one too many to be laid off in Dominica, but Mr. Latang has to understand what is happening in the world today and Dominica is no different, except Mr. Latang believes Dominica is not in the world or Mr. Latang has just now dropped from the skies.
Wake up Mr. Latang this is reality.
I tend to disagree with Mr. Bellot, I think 60 or 50 % would sound more reasonable.One would think otherwise
I would like to know whether the PSU boss is not listening to what is happening out there in the outside world. While it is true, every body deserves a little more than their usual wages,but out there, people are getting laid off from work, others are getting cut backs in their salary.In the USVI the governor is laying off over 2000 public servants.He had laid off some police officers but reconsidered his decision and re-hired the police officers.HESS in St.Croix is now closing down, they are going to streamline the over 2000 workers and will keep 100 workers. Money is tight all over the world because of the recession,some people are unable to pay their mortgage, I wonder if the PSU boss would rather the government fire a few workers and give the others an increase? So Mr PSU boss please reconsider your position.
THEY KNOW PARRY IS RIGHT.
YOU DOH DESERVE ANSA, IDIOT
how you know Parry’ statement that 80 % of public officers are unproductive is true? The PSU has acknowledged that there are public officers who fall short of expectations in the discharge of their duties, but the unsupported statement that 80 % of public officers are unproductive is offensive to public officers. If Parry’s glib statement was true, then the State of Dominica would have collapsed long time.
wush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!boy look people at that meeting last night boy public servants come out
I listened with seriousness and humour at the statements made and the emotions that were exhibited at yerterday’s meeting and asked myself are these officers really going to act. I wish they would but I want to be cautiously optimistic and await the opportunity when ACTION will be required and not mere slogans even if they are important. In my years of existence in this land I have learnt to believe half of what I see, and none of what I hear.
I would love to be proven wrong that many citizens put their party’s interest before thier family’s.
Well it is good for civil servants. You are the ones that put this greedy, lazy and incompetent government in there. You better work to get them out.
i don’t see how your statement relates to the article. No wonder you got so many thumbs down
strike, strike ,strike… i hear you, labar in power so no labourite civil servant will strike..PARTY BEFORE POCKET
my pocket, before party. i have lay a foundation for my kids. years from now the party will or may not be there and the policies we allow to go through will still be there. Come on set the foundation and footing for our children. Let our ancestors be proud. if they did not fightfor us ,we would not be where we are today.COME ON KEEP UP THE FIGHT
Lay a foundation for your children-afair days work for a fair days pay.
It is clear to me that the country is under a spell. The public service is also under a spell. We have been bought by politicians and can’t see the nonsense in the country. Who is this man called Parry Bellot? Where did they pick him up? What is his background? Dominica is heading to self destruction.
All bark and no bite….
we need you on board to bite.stop staying in the back burner.united we stand, divided we fall. come let us bite. i am mot afraid, what are u afraid of those people bread that is alreadt buttered.
protest action for what? go and do allu work eh.Some of allu know mr bellot was right, you all put the government there take what allu get, thats my opinion. but on the other hand peter shouldnt be paying for paul. but thats the way it is. work on dealing with customers/citizens with a better approach, complete your job tasks, be productive then come again.
tell us where we stand with the new reform put in place by social security. i opted for 55 years. i am still going to leave at 55years.
It is about time we wake-up to show our dissatifaction with the way this Gov’t has been treating the civil servants of Dominica. We are not “house servants.”
Everywhere else in the world today we see civil servants coming out in the steeets to express their anger and outrage at their Govts about their living standards and conditions. It is so common that every person who becomes a leader of a country , soon afterwards becomes a millionire, and the everyday workers are left to hold the bills in the long run.
So I am calling on all Dominicans to come out in large numbers to support Mr. Latang in his eforts to bring about better salaries and wages to our people.
Admin please post without deleting any word/s
we will stand up for our rights.we will fight till we die.it have a lady in the ministry that crooked us last time. today is not carnival monday ,i am not calling names. Persons make and break laws to suit them.Come on do the honorable thing pay us our money.do not get me ignorant and call me ignorant ,when in fact you are the ignorant one because you are ignoring because i ask you to pay me.Pay me
we want to move to the next level,we are not begging give us what is due to us. you will do your auditing later.
we will see
Pay me and vex with me. Now is time to pay up.
we are ready for protest action. we have worked hard pay pay us what is due to us
i think u should just say allu work and leave hard out of it
I am a civil servant and to tell you the truth some of us are not productive we just there drawing salary every month coming to work late leaving early, its time they ask all civiil servants to complete “Task Registration Forms” to see what they do at the end of the day. Some of us cannot even type a simple letter, we on facebook, shopping on line, texting during work hours. Parry is right, low productivity. Some of the supervisors themselves not doing nothing much so their subordinates are non productive. Civil Service do your homework. Before month end they in town shopping, as for the exercise thing they implement some of them cannot wait to leave the office. Do all you homework CSA, stop politiking with the CSA all you motive is a trap for the poor CSA members who want a raise in pay. Stop looking for ways for the country to be in turmoil. God is watching remember that. Public Servants take hind watch the people who were talking at the meeting last night. Be careful, increase productivity and things will work for all you. Stop using Parry as all you scapegoat all you know what he saying is true, pull up all you socks and work for genuine rewards.
Mama? They come out we. What made them finally come out?
I guess it’s better late than never? Thought they would stay pretending that things are ok.
I watching still papa…in the PM
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Is Mr. Bellot wrong or is he right. Where are the facts, data and models which are the basis of Mr. Bellot’s pronouncements. Has Mr. Latang conducted any fact based studies to back his assertion that Mr. Bellot is off.
The Bushmaninda would like to know that a proper scientific analysis was undertaken and what are the results. How productive is the public sector.
Determining an agreed state of public sector productivity is of great value to the government, the Mr. Latang and the pubic at large. Here is opportunity for collaboration between the government and the union. If Mr. Bellot’s numbers are off( as Mr. Latang seems to believe) then a alternate study commissioned and overseen by both parties would be in order. Maybe however, either party is afraid of agreed position on the state of public sector productivity.
If Mr. Bellot’s statements were based on any sort of survey or analysis then maybe people would look in the mirror and ask themselves a question but considering that Mr Bellot’s statement was derived from his personal opinion and he has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to back up his statement, naturally it is disrespectful to the many hard working public survants. Understand a very simple thing the Public service comprises of more than 3000 employees and the majority of that are backroom staff, meaning they don’t deal with the general public.
woy woy woy!!!!!! look at ppl!!!!!!
Strupes. Latang and Anthony, how often do you go to the schools and see the teacher gossiping and brading their hair. Teacher ignor the children all the time when they are to be their caretakers between school hours. Do you no that a principal of a school open for a child recently and another teacher was quarelling with a child in her class and even tell the child her mother is crazy, the mother had to transfer the child immediately. How often do you go the bank, government building, the port and see the workers sitting there idly while customers waiting. How often do you go to Domlec and Lime and see the staff on their phones while customers wait. So dont play a blind eye and then asked for protest action, i wonder how many of these ppl in that meeting will follow you. The only place u go and get full service is by Astaphans. We all no that Parry is right but we want to use his saying for political gains and to distablise the country. But Latang we are watching you.
You will not use we civil servant to do your dirty work for you and to full fill your agenda with the United Workers Party.
Thats what we saying some of you all are blind and carrying your egnorrance as a badge of honnor that you will be always blind to the truth, but you better pray for the U W P to get back in power to save our sweet Domnica from going down the drian to hell hole, get real and look at the message not the messanger.
Leave Mr Letang in peace.This is a bread and butter issue and not a political.Stupid.YOU mentionned about services being offered by the bank.Does the bank fall under the public service.Go and do your homework and leave public servants alone.Go sing for your supper. Let me sing for mine . i am legal
You have not even gone to the table to commence salary negotiations but you are talking protest action. Protest action is a last resort. In my opinion it is too early to talk about protest action. Even if you have that in mind it should not be in the news at this time.
Concerning the statement made by Parry Bellot, i feel he should definitely be asked to retract that statement.
There’s no other POWER like PEOPLE POWER. The time is now for all segments of our communities to send a strong message to those who sit in high places, do nothing and take the poor for granted. Dominica is now experiencing the worst of the worst when it comes to blatant corruption, Chinese with more leverage than the locals, simply because of aid/grants in the name of development. If we do not bring an end to what is currently taking place, our future and children’s future will be doomed. I’m convinced that the majority of the Police Force, is not locked stepped with the policies of the regime, but has to maintain bread on the tables for their families. We all must be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to free our land.
Skerro make Parry mess up his vibes…u see how what Parry say coming back to bite Skerro? Now the Union playing ” pawol a bouche say pa met, say sa ou sah fait”
Is this how a Union should be talking..”making and breaking people”..I suppose dey learn from those who have gone before…..more power to allu
It is high time that DPSU members get balls parry should either retract his utterances or resighn. Their are young persons with the public service who are trained in that field give them that job.We should have called for his immediate resignation.
parry bellot is right on the ball
WOW! Ah singing sanky, ah singing sanky, ah singing sanky song……………… If the people of Salisbury and other neglected communities are smart they will cordinate their efforts and protest the same day if it gets to that point. Time to hold government accountable for their actions and disrespect.
That’s exactly what this is all about – an excuse for all you to mske trouble. That is why there werr bigh doctors there at the meeting. Since when Mr.??? going to PSU meeting.
While Parry did not speak from a scientific standpoint, all of them inside there know that he is right: Late for work, leaving early, always taking a day or two off, chattting or being on social networ during work hours, going out to town to do all sorts of things, texting and on cell phone during work, not much productivity, using govt’s phone, etc The list is endless. I am a public servant and I see and hear. Since PSU call a meeting that’s when we have voice. All of a sudden they mixing salary negotiation, Parry’s statement, public works etc. to make one braff. Protest action or not, retraction of statement or not, we will still be castigated as a lazy bunch of people and WE KNOW THAT IS TRUE!!!!!
WHO THEM PUBLIC WORKERS THINK THEY FOOLING,BY THE TIME THEY RETURN TO WORK TOMORROW THEY ARE GOING TO FORGET ALL THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED,MARK MY WORDS.WHEN IT WAS PAT JOHN,BEFORE THE MAN WOULD OPEN HIS MOUTH,REGARDLESS TO WHAT WAS SAID, THEY WERE PREPARED TO GO ON STRIKE.I UNDERSTOOD HE MADE A STATEMMENT THAT HE WAS GOING TO JAIL PUBLIC SERVANTS AT THE CABBRITS AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.TODAY A TOP BRASS ASSOCIATED TO THE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED THEIR WORK HABITS AND UNTIL TODAY NOT A DOG BARK.CAN YOU IMAGINE THE MAN CALLED,DOCTORS,NURSES,TEACHERS,PORT OFFICERS EVEN PERNAMENT SECRETARIES LAZY AND EVERY ONE OF THEM REMAINED MOOMOO.
i am not sure how Mr. Bellot got his statistics but 80% seems to be high, however in my opinion Mr. Letang should conduct is own survey to counter Mr. Bellot’s findings if he thinks that is incorrect, the should be the best way to deal with that, then organize protest action .
Mr Bellot admitted that his survey was based on anecdotal evidence. Look up the meaning of that word… He is not stating facts and never has. Mr Letang quite rightly spoke of the number of extra hours public servants work but what he neglected to say was that most of the time we are not paid for it
Mr. Bellot’s figure is not based on any findings. Go back and listen or read his statements at the press conference he called.