Trade union leader Thomas Letang has responded to suggestions that Dominica’s Labor movement has lost its militancy, resulting in a serious reduction in industrial action in the country.
Letang’s Dominica Public Service Union has in recent times been doing a bit of sabre rattling, warning that the DPSU could embark on industrial action if specific concerns are not addressed by the government which employs the majority of the union’s 2400 members.
However the union has not been involved in any strike action so far this year.
“Whenever we have threatened to take industrial action, before we have embarked on it we see results,” the union leader said, indicating that the threats have been enough to get its demands met.
“Not too long ago we had the statement that was made by the Government Productivity Consultant, and we issued a statement saying if that statement wasn’t retracted, if Government did not disassociate itself (with the statement) we would have embarked on industrial action, and that was in the making,” Letang told DNO.
He says the proposed strike was averted because Productivity Consultant Parry Bellot formally apologized to the union, retracting his suggestion that 80 per cent of the country’s public officers were not pulling their weight and slacking on the job.
Letang says he is convinced that if a strike is called by the DPSU, its members will rally to the cause because the union has been carrying out mobilization activity among its members over the past few months.
Salary negotiations is one of the matters the union is involved in at the moment.
Letang says his union wants to ensure that if it embarks on industrial action it has public support.
“We’d want to make sure that the public understands what you are doing. So it’s not a matter of just getting up one day and decide that you are going to call a strike,” he explained.
He says very often while some member call for more militancy, the union does not act hastily because it wants to ensure that it has the public on its side in a bid to obtain successful results.
Letang said, “Trade union leader Thomas Letang has responded to suggestions that Dominica’s Labor movement has lost its militancy, resulting in a serious reduction in industrial action in the country.”
The operative word…Militant…why labour relation should be militant?
What the hard working civil servants don’t realize is that the government politicians don’t give a hoot about them. The government politicians have money coming in from all kind of pipe lines – money coming in for travel @ $400 US a night whereas they staying by their woman abroad; they have constituency allowances; They drive government vehicles; they order meals on tax payers money under business meal. See how all of them get fat- who face boosuflais, neck swelling, balding.
Then there are those who delay projects so that their apartment can house Venezuelans; It have those with villas, 400 thousand dollar house that is actually built at 1.9 million dollars; There are those getting kick backs from passport sale; those in the business of getting passports to Haitians for a sum; there are those involved in the gambling business.
Remember they raise their salary and dumped more useless ministers on us. Then they 12 -$ 10 thousand/ month advisors. Why shouldn’t I sing I love my AM and PM and Parl Rep.
…like your name, suits your comments, seems like you really a bird. lol
Mr. Letang smart he know how to pretend that he is doing negotiations………… ask him what we getting for 2012/2013 …..:mrgreen:
A vast majority are not being objective here. In your household, you have a budget right? You have your income and your expenses, savings etc… When things can’t balance, you either reduce the expenses, reduce the savings or increase the income.
When you child ask you for something and you don’t have it, why do you say? My mother you to tell me, “you want me to go steal for you? ” or ” you think i have money tree shaking?” , “Satisfy, I don’t have more money.”
Same with our Gov’t. They don’t have a money tree. They can only pay zoo much. And if we have to increase pay we have to wise about it. Pay increases should be performance based. If you don’t meet expectations on the job, you shouldn’t be entailed to an economic / cost of living adjustment.
We can’t continue to pay people for nothing. Everyone knows that a significant number of our public workers are not performing, but we keep a blind eye to that.
Remember the Unions collect Union dues, if you get an increase, the union gets an increase. Unions were needed in the 1900’s.
Gone are the days where you had one job for your entire life.
If you don’t like you pay, get up, and get something else.
I understood ,though disappoint, that my mother couldn’t get me all i wanted, so i promise myself that i would ensure I position myself to get all i want and what she wanted when i grow up. And I am doing just that.
Be objective people. Sometimes it is necessary to do layoffs.
Its just Business.
Same with the Govt’ There is not a money tree
Mr bias the civil servant who are doing nothing are the ones who the Parl Reps dump on our account to sit in a chair doing nothing. Then we also have the advisors who are making 5 times the amount of a junior clerk. You ministers for example responsible for constituency affairs; we have a minister under the minister of foreign affairs; we had paid productivity consultants and a spiritual advisor. We have ambassadors overseas who are getting paid mucho dinero to go to law school. You want to talk about conservation – let’s talk. The high traveling allowances ; You aught to be ashamed to pronounce that all our country depend on is VAT after 12 years of this administration.
If your income is insufficient to supplement your family put measures in place to better the situation. After all every bread winner wants to provide the best for the family. I hope your answer is not going to be – “ what if better cannot be done?” cause you already choked yourself out writing this pile of apologetic garbage for the DLP.
LOVVEEEEE your comment… I wish I could like it more than once. Well said!!!!!!!
i would really want to know which side the d.l.p/union members are on…. there well being vs the mighty skerro… some people putting politics before there pockets and well being…. smh… i would not like to see any industrial action because it never helps the country… but these bands of ***** we have in office dere… to deal with them you have to come hard like a hard-on
Governments all over the world are laying off civil servants because they can no longer pay them. So, a raise in salary could lead to workers being made redundant.No institution can pay more than it can afford.State workers are paid from money collected by taxes and no by grants or loans.
eeee papa…give allu room with the “governments all over the world” talk. Is for one set of things alone allu does reference “all over the world”.
When will you people get it through their skulls that you cannot compare yourself to other economies and countries when dealing with issues like these?
lol…
I totally agree with Mr Letang when dealing with negotiations at all levels in life compromise is the key, civility, and respect is important,anything done in a haste most times turns out to be a waste. what usually happens people allow all kinds of things to cloud their minds and some times with different agenda and nothing to do with the real issue at hand. In so many cases the very people who raises the cause when things gets serious the said persons back out and run and hide. The way things are all over the world with countries economies fading caution has to be the watch word remember while we have a total right to ask for more money to take care of our families and pay our bills we cannot cut our nose to spite our face. Action yes! but make sure all the boots are on the ground ready willing and able to back the cause.
Latang you are a waste of time. Just be quiet.
MR. LETANG WITH THE GOVT. PASSING THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT FOR 65, WHILE THEY CONTINUE EMPLOYMENT TO 60YRS.WHAT HAPPENS TO THE AREA INBETWEEN?
WHEN WILL WE MAKE GOVT. PASS RELATED LEGISLATION?
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?
What about your personal retirement plan? You people need to grow up. YOu all don’t like communist, but you all sure like someone else giving you everything.
Social Security cannot be your sole retirement plan. If that’s what you are depending on, sorry to break the news, it is a pyramid scheme and if you don’t have enough people in the work force to suppose the retired, the scheme fails… Is that what you want to rely on for 100% of your retired? Think again.
Purchase lands, invest… You will be better off at retirement instead of having Social Security as your number one plan
I agree with you Mr. Letang. There are alot of twet and two-faced people in Dominica. They all feeling the squeeze, but when the time comes to do something about it, they back down or they allow themselves to be fooled by more promises and fancy talk.
Enough talk mr. Letang. Your teeth appear to have been replaced with plastic dentures. Obviously that’s what the govt. believes too and does not take you seriously.