The Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) has become the latest union on the island to not accept the latest government wage increase proposal for the period 2012 to 2015.
The matter is to be discussed with the union’s executive and members.
The union met with team from the government comprising of the Secretary to the Cabinet, Chief Personnel Officer, and the Financial Secretary on Monday and was offered 2, 0, 0.
The government had initially offered a wage freeze (0, 0, 0) for the same period.
But general secretary of the union, Thomas Letang, told DNO the offer was not accepted the latest offer and negotiations will continue.
“Government has moved from 0, 0, 0 to 2, 0, 0,” Letang said. “And their position also was that they implemented the recommendation of the job classification exercise in January. We have not accepted anything.”
He said the union has to discuss the matter with its executive and members.
“So acceptance is definitely not there yet,” he stated. “We are negotiating. We don’t want to say too much at this time on whether it’s good whether it is bad, our position is 10 percent salary increase over a three-year period and we have not changed from that position. What we have is government’s last position, but our position has not changed.”
Letang said information given to the public on the matter will be limited for the time being since “we do not believe that it is fair that we say too much when we have not met with our executive.”
In terms of the job classification exercise, Letang said “just looking at the results of that consultancy we see a large number of positions were not changed and when you add this to the number of positions that were downgraded it would mean that it is not a very large number (that) was upgraded.”
The Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) and the Police Welfare Association have been offered 1, 0, 0 salary increase for the same period but the government’s proposal has been rejected by both unions. They too were initially offered a wage freeze.
Under Eugenia Charles President Sir Clarence Signoret was given an office at Morne Bruce and $5000.00 salary per month and stayed at his home .Presidents Crispin Sorhaindo and Vernon Shaw received the same $5000.00 per month and stayed at their homes. President Charles Savarin-trade union leader/striker par excellence- lives in the $27,000,000 Palace ,with plenty servants with all utilities paid, with two expensive vehicles plus police escort vehicles, with police outriders, plus duty allowances, and salary of $11,000+++per month free of income tax for doing what???And Public Servants are only offered zero percent-0%,0%,0%- ???!!!
Whenever Charles Savarin called a strike for more money against Patrick John I was there-127%. ,55%. Now he enjoying his obscene excesess of salary and perks and he and his government offering
0% ,0% ,0%.But God is good all the Time. He must be punished sometime.
Public Officer,You are so right. I was there. The evil that men do lives with them.
Nothing is going to change public servants are going to accept government’s offer. The main reason for this is that about half of the these gov’t employees have already received their raise in building materials. They are going to build their downstairs, open new businesses and build new houses. Most of them are part of the labor executive or high ranking labor supporters. Before anything goes to the populace they grab their share. The other half are shared between independent thinkers and opposition supporters who don’t benefit. Most of the people who comment in support of DLP here, are those labour gave them a job (not the government of Dominica), people who benefit from projects, those who get their 14 gran salaries so off course Labour ka Twavay. Who cares what the poor people eat. Those public workers who get their building materials can afford to expand themselves, but sadly the poor man who can’t even feed himself will sell those materials and shout “Labour Ka Twavay
In the last few days both the Police Welfare Association and the Teachers Association rejected Skerrit’s offer to them and today it is the DSPU joining in the reject. I hope every member of these three groups go to their ballot booths and reject the government altogether. After all, these guys are our educated engines, our educators, and men and women that keep us safe. I mean Skerrit’s insult to these educated folks is comparable to a husband who has three children with his wife, and never has money to support them, but has enough to take care of his concubines and their children in public. For example, Skerrit does not have enough money to give them a raise but has more than enough to pay a FOREIGN band over a $100K a night, for entertainment! What an insult in the face of the members of the DAT, PWA and DPSU! Let’s show them that we have a brain by voting them out early on Dec. 8. Let’s remember to bathe eh
Cost of living is on the increase .why cant the government of the day treat the civil servants, the teachers and the officers of the law better?
yet still some civil servants in RED singing for their supper on another table……………..
After taking a 52% raise a few years ago, they resently increased their gratuity by 40% a few weeks before elections. I wonder what is really happening? I would like to find out something about that. And with all that civil servants cannot get a raise……ahhhhhhhhhh
Before December 8th King Skerro shall come in red like Santa Claus and offer 5%,3%,2% because it’s his habit to come at the last minute and play hero. Don’t worry you all head, he just playing the negotiators like he did to Tim-tim and Piper reference the Nigerian band for creole fest. Mark my word he will….but it shall be too late and we will reject him at the polls without a second thought because Change Is A Must!
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
UWP need to be voted into power so that the economy can grow. Agriclulture, fisheries, manufactuing etc revived, jobs on the rise and all bobols are no more. As for some of us, we need the money owed to us during the aysterity measure, and which the UWP will be giving back to us. That will take care of some pending bills.
The SAW to our rescue, coming soon.
Dominica must be the only country where these employees want a salary increase and a cost of living one and also reject what was offered to them.
Have they considered where the money is coming from to pay salary increases?
Sorry! I sent the following without the name, etc. Please disregard the first one.
Compared to the number of ministers, consider the number of police officers, the number of teachers and the number of public service employees, the latter three who will be paid a salary increase. Consider the total amount. Governments always get a higher salary increase. If they so wish they could decide on a wage freeze.
You cannot compare the government/ministers to the others. Those who are especially government ministers are always “on call” so-to-speak. Their job is not an 8:00 to 4 or a 9 to 5 one. They do not receive overtime pay and are not entitled to it. Therefore, you should not compare yourself or that sector to them and vice versa.
the police, public servants ,teachers ,nurses etc. must remain steadfast until the prevail. 10% is really not sufficient but under the circumstances it can work pay the people the 10% because you can and stop this cruelty to our beloved public servants .
Please mr. Letang, stop farting about. Now Skerrit is trying to drive a wedge between you and the other groups. It is very simple, Lennox Linton has already made, it clear what you will get if you help to change the government. 1,5%,1.5%, 3% plus refund of the 5% wage deduction under the austerity programme of P.M. Pierre Charles. Is Skerrit going to give your members the same? So what is there to discuss again? Tell your member to vote according to their needs.
The only hateful thing about this whole salary increase is those WICKED merchants!
They are waiting with bated breath to see if public officers really get the salary increase. Then they will put up on the price of EVERYTHING in town.
low salaries + merchants’ greediness = never=ending cycle of poverty
i just want to cry. i wish some power from another country would intervene and put things right because dominicans are too nice to protest.
what is fifteen dollar increase doing for me? skeritt is a multimillionaire in a few years. he started out a young confused man who couldnt keep a conversation, he couldnt articulate his words,
now he is saying that linton isnt good enough. linton doesnt have half of the problem skeritt had when he started off. the same way he got links the same way linton will get it.
people look at the big picture. please vote for a change.
no increase no vote
000 money 0 votes
Interesting enough! This is really interesting coming from the government. They have increased their salary by almost 50%, with all their benefits and allowances yet they telling me to take the crumbs that fall from the table hmmm. With those crumbs I have to feed people children, give them books, give them pencils. I still have to get my own resources to do my job such as chalk, duster and provide myself with my own uniform.
Yet government is offering me 2, 0, 0. Total wickedness when you tell me that you can afford to get money to pay Destra so you could wine on stage with her while all your bills and food are well paid plus that of your maid and you tell me take that.
All those public servants that there shouting labour its sad that you seem to enjoy and love Skerritt more than yourself. Well not me. I love myself and not no damn PM
Compared to the number of ministers, consider the number of police officers, the number of teachers and public service employees, the latter three who will be paid a salary increase. Consider the total amount.
Governments always get a higher salary increase. If they so wish they could decide on a wage freeze.
You cannot compare the government/ministers to the others. Those who are especially government ministers are always “on call” so-to-speak. Their job is not an 8:00 to 4 or a 9 to 5 one. They do not receive overtime pay and are not entitled to it. Therefore, you should not compare yourself or that sector to the government and vice versa.
Who ever you are get wise!. Rubbish. So because they get a higher salary increase, does that mean I have to get 0. Sa e ye sort ou sort, sort ki faire. Of course they are always on call. They are on call on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 midnight, driving around Miss Daisy. Sometimes I am up all 12 midnight, trying to plan lessons and correct books/papers then go to school and look for materials they should have provided to the schools to do a good job.
In case you are not aware I also do not get overtime even if we have to stay in school late hours to raise funds for the school to help make our work experience better.
While I am working my ……. off they are out dining in fancy hotels/restaurants.
So whoever you are get smart and stop allowing people to fool you. Go carry out your own survey. Stupes man oh foolish one.
the prisident s of those unions are too soft over the past years scince 2012 come on workers of dominica take your cause in hand rally the people arround marigot and others get your rights by your unity forces thanks
Public servant would be wicked to accept this 0,0,0 offer after seeing the event taking place pre election. Cost of living in dominica is up and steadily climbing and this is what you offer your people. Get out of here with that bs.
Over the 15 years public officers have seen the wastage…want to see whether your allegiance is to party or a better life for you and your children. The dlp politicians have acquired wealth- houses, investments and savings. Are you Public officers better off? Remember when you go behind the curtain to vote there is no colour – vote your conscience.
I don’t want to vote based on my conscience….I want to vote on my salary statement.
Every month end I vex because I seeing as soon I get paid I’m broke again…I have to be digging into my savings every month, just to make sure I have enough food to eat so that I can sit down and do the Government’s work.
Pm and his Cabinet gave themselves a 57% increase. That’s inclusive of their allowances.
And he slap me in my face offering me 0 0 0..all of a sudden election coming, he feeling the cold wind of defeat blowing on his neck and he want to offer us public officers 2 0 0???
Pm Skerritt, Sir you need to develop a conscience.
I will not be voting for you again this time around.
I think Berres Hammond, Carimi, and Destra took everyones raise
and now, donny mcclurkin or whatever he is called
Skerrit did very well for himself what about us Skerro take a cut in your salary for the people?
The most popular word in Dominica today, besides the name Lennox Linton, is the word REJECT. The Dominica Association of Teachers, Police Welfare Association, Dominica Public Service Union appear to be like a broken record. All we are hearing after meetings with the Government representatives are reject, reject, reject. Doesn’t those Associations believe, their members need to hear something different. After the rejection, what next. I wonder if their non actions are not a sign that they intend to vote UWP Team Dominica to government because of the promised of 1.5%, 1.5% and 3% plus 5% back pay.
go educate yourself about the salary that these people are recieving. how much increase is that now? fourteen dollars? twenty dollars? hahaha. i mean, HAHAHAHAH.
ok. rent, light water internet cable groceries, courts, schools medicals bus for you and the kids to go to school, loan. get freaking real
It is amazing what a few percentages, cents increase could do to people and make them do. If they do, let us hope they do not suffer for this.
Lennox Aunty and uncle that will fund the increase.. And the will raise some funds from BBQ sale to help pay the officers as well
Only a fool will say such
Notice the government is fiddling with the first year only because of the election season. Initially the criminal administration offered 0,0,0 but now bill boards, tablets and all other fors of bribery is roaming Dominica the labor party is pretendingthat they are amenable but we all know better. We knw that they only care about themselves.
May be you should cease speculating and assuming. You cannot read the minds of others.
I can read yours though. You are foolish
And u mean to tell me some ppl still going to vote for dem ppl….labour party has alot of young people who are supporting based on other persons opinions.some of them are senseless.Cant blame them though skerrit playin young boy giving them non stop sewo, while others hard workers are being paid pocket change.i love my country.i want the best for this island i called my home.
Mark my words the higher the stakes becomes the more likely hood that the goal post will be moved, its crunch time and desperate times calls for desperate actions. You read it on D.N.O. we might be hit with the News of salary increase by the Government acceptable too all concerned just hold our breath its coming the calculated move is to dangle the carrot as it is right now hoping one group accepts the offer to throw this thing in a whole mess. Stay united with your request win loose or draw something have to give. We have given enough its some body` else turn. NO increase! no vote! that’s our rights.
likelihood
Too bad for all of them. Who will suffer in the end?
With all that is going one, why haven’t I heard anything from the union bosses about aligning their unions with the party that will give them what they want.
Those civil servants in Dominica are just a set of dumb a$$es. You are in the middle of an election campaign and the government offering you peanuts and you have not made your next move to make politicians shake in their boots? You are the single largest voting block in the country and allu allowing a government to play with you like that? Any you guys are supposed to be among the brightest people in the country?
Allu allowing allu party affiliations to cloud your judgement to get what is best for you and your family?
This is politics, not a religion. In politics you vote based on what is in your best interest.
Wake up you civil servants. Vote according to what is best for you, not what is best for Skerrit.
Sfter 15 years in government the civil service is most likely charged with party supporters, rightbandwroung pegs. However this is just the nature of te beast- politicians p,ace party supporters in jobs and that is so with ALL political parties.
Essentially the civil service is mute because victimization is real and rampant in Dominica. People are scared out of their seats to even speak out against obvious corruption and injustice.
Not me nah… I must talk
the cost of living going up so must the salaries come on!