Unions representing public servants here say they are in the process of meeting with their membership today and tomorrow to discuss the latest salary increase proposed by the government.
The Police Welfare Association (PWA), the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) told Dominica News Online (DNO) that they are going to bring the 3, 1, 1 percent, a total of 5 percent, which the government has offered for the period 2012 to 2015 to the table for consideration.
The government and various trade unions on the island have been at odds for months over an increase in salaries for public servants for that period.
Initially, the government had offered a wage freeze but that was turned down. The offer was then slightly increased by to 1, 0, 0. However, that too, was rejected.
Burt speaking at a Dominica Labour Party (DLP) rally in Riviere Cyrique less than 5 days before the general election, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit upped the ante, offering a total of 5 percent, which he said will be done with the assistance of friendly governments that he did not identify.
“There will be a meeting at 2.30 pm. The meeting will be to discuss Government’s latest offer of five percent for the triennium,” President of the PWA Jefferson Drigo said.
“We have an executive meeting this afternoon to discuss it. The meeting will begin by 2 pm,” General Secretary of the DPSU Thomas Letang stated.
Meantime President of the DAT, Celia Nicholas, said they are in a very good position since they have two offers on the table.
“We had been in the process of negotiations and we had received a response to our letter and we had discussed the response from the negotiating team and everything was clarified and we were in the process of taking that response to the membership. We had already decided that we were going to have a meeting on Friday and then in the interim, another letter came,” she said.
“So it has put us in a very good position I must say, we have two offers to deal with.”
They will be meeting with their membership on Friday at the auditorium of the Convent High School from 2.30pm.
“The national executive will be advising its members accordingly. We have informed ourselves and we know that we are on the right track and we will hear what our members have to say on Friday, but we will be guiding them accordingly.”
yes a kick with the shoe
After skerrit give that 5 percent months after he is going to claim he can’t afford to continue to pay public officers so he is going let some of them… and he is going to target those who did not support him. And this is not street news I am giving you all it is from an inside source close to the PM
So you all really think that the union leaders would take the word from a political platform to their executive and general membership.?and Mr. Letang did indicate that he had received communique from government negotiating team.
Hey doe forget the back pay too!
Christmas coming the goose is getting fat
please put The 5% in public servant hat!!!!
If you haven’t got the 5% the 1% will do
If you haven’t got the 1% we will revolt against you!!!!!
I would like to thank the Leader of the Opposition for the proposed increase in my salary putting the Government under enough pressure that they had no choice but to spit it out for fear of losing.. Pressure! … Change was a must. Thank you and BRAVO Hon Lennox. Change is here to stay! You dont have to be PM to do the work of the people. You are doing well. 3,1,1 get moving PM!! Without that and without all the coko makak they did the pm would have lost for sure. Just look at the stats. They did everything except invoke the dead lol and still see how close it came. We know it and he knows it. Carry on smartly Lennox we are with you, and proud.
Skerro u win already tell these unionist to Go To Hell no raise of PAY for them u in charge if they want raise of pay come to the RED clinic
Many of the public servants have already received their fair share of building materials and other goodies. No need for a raise anymore.
for so many years public servant serving making life easy for the politicians and we cant get an increase so many taxes on us? we do he accounts, audit, make the appointments set up flights for travel and accommodations and so many more and a little increase we cant get? only promise for civil servants in the manifesto is to appoint officers who has been there for 10 or more years. what about the rest? by 1 year people should be appointed far more for 5,6,7……. and is only from 10 yrs oh my God that is slavery what is 10% increase to give us eh $100 on a $1000 jeez man. are we so color blind we making politics take our sense of reasoning? whom the lord loveth he chaseneth, so why when our leaders are wrong we refuse to say so? if we love them we will make them know when they are wrong, to make them better persons. so what because you love your child you wont correct him when he go wrong? no one is perfect so be fair
i can’t wait to see the utcome
that woman in the picture above will sell out the teachers because they are skerritites that will sa how high when skerrit say jump.
If the unions or politics got Government to move from 0% to 5% the public officers have won. Skerrit pronouncement only means that the Financial Secretary have to find the money to pay. The Unions did not fall for a political statement they were quick to meet with the official negotiating team the next day and get the offer in writing.
The union should press on for a little more, maybe 6%.
Please do not let Skeritt fool all You again and again! If Team Dominica did not make their proposal Skeritt would nevr have come up with that offer on the eve of the eve of Election1 Clearly a move to bamboozle the Public Servants!
Letang wake up!
What offer are you going to discuss with members.
Monsieur, the offer is null and void-have some sense.
When Skerrit made the offer the House was already dissolved.
That is why he did not sign it. It was all “gimmick”.
“All fools day” for public servants was December 4-lol
Merry Christmas!
All you better say thanks to UWP or else it would have been 0.0.0
Hmmmm good luck to them on that
Well skerrit is PM ask for a 100% increase, let us see if his President charles Saverin will encourage him to give it to the civil servants.
I do not know how the public servants see it but 5% percent is too low.but the public servants of today including the police does not have the stomach nor the guts for any kind of struggle. Is it because there is no longer a Charles Savarin. Cost of living is so high in dominica, what is 5% ?Mr. Skerrit and his 16 ministers could afford to give themselves and their partisan supporters a hefty raise from the public purse while the rest of the public servants are scrunting . I strongly believe that the first group of public servants who will collapse are the teachers because of their partisan president as for the police they are scared shitless of Skerrit & co. unlimited . But this is what we have come to accept not the best but the less which amounts to crumbs and bones from Mr. Skerrits table.
That five percent budget already so all u better accept it
Parry, I would advise the Prime Minister to tell Peter to shut up. In the middle of a negotiation as regards salaries to public workers, he is telling public workers and Dominicans by extension that million of dollars were paid to Barbados workers. According to him the workers from Bimshire were the ones responsible for the printing of martials, example bill boards and manifestos, used during the DLP campaign.
Please, public servants, don’t make the rest of the trade unions in the Caribbean laugh at you. The Government just spent millions of dollars of foreign artists for a few hours of work. Millions on bill boards that are going to be thrown into the garbage. Millions of dollars sent to Bajan workers for the printing of manifestos, bill boards and other paraphernalia. Extension of the NEP program, where more millions will be spent on people with no work experience. UWP agreement to pay salary increases of 6% over the same period. Now, the man wants to increase your salaries by 5% over three years. As far as I am concerned, that would be a travesty, madness, advantageous, and pitiful for Public Workers to accept anything less then 10% over a period of three years.
This seems to be pretty straight forward IMO. I hope the Government stick they promise. It would also be good to know who those friendly governments are. I wanna see how this plays out.
Is so then?. The Gov’t Negotiating Team has been ridiculed. “Big” men and women disrespected. Skerritt made an announcement in desperation to fool Public servants in getting their votes during the election. I mean a few days before an election, no cabinet decision, Skerritt by-passes the Negotiating team as well, makes a unilateral decision and Unions rushing to meet its members on that?
Where was the documentation on that matter to the Unions, before Skerritt announced the 3 1 1 % increase? When did they receive those latest proposals in writing? Was it from the Negotiating Team?
Even before Public servants receive that meager “increase” proposed, the cost of living has already consumed everything. Public Servants will be left dry, while a few greedy, Narcissist individuals will continue to amass quick wealth by dubious means. Secret passport sales will continue on non-stop. Millions to be made in kick-backs and corrupt practices by the few.
Public Servants will be left to grovel, because to many of them, their Party come first. They do not dare stand up to Massa,. They work, but feel that they do not earn the necessary increases to improve their standards of living. They will fight tooth-and-nail to enrich Massa and his close associates, meanwhile the plight of the majority worsens.
Even though Skerritt turns around and now says 1 1 1%, they would still accept, some with a grumble. Can’t they walk up the stairs of the Financial Centre and get fixed at the Red Clinic too, nuh? Voila. So who cares?
Beris Hammond, Destra and the other foreign artists, in a couple hours at Skerritt’s DLP campaign, made their mucho $$$$$$$$$$$$ though? Many, many Public servants themselves, see nothing wrong or extravagant in such lavish spending in an election campaign. The DLP sympathisers at those meetings will put Skerritt and his DLP first. Their needs come last. They like it so.
It is certainly not FAIR to Public Servants working with dedication to build Dominica to see Ministers, who just came on the scene, bathing in wealth, while they there at a stand still in their own development. Free Plane tickets and cash to bribe our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, while for Years we Public servants get nothing? We have become poorer and poorer in the last decade in particular under Skerritt’s DLP Bad governance and neglect of the productive sectors of our economy.
Lol I really hope you all get something,remember he said the money was pledge by friendly government not given.
LMAO Dominicans your PM really thinks you are the bottom of the barrel. Three union presidents going through months of negotiations for a 5% increase. So after all this hullaballo, lets see the net impact on the life of civil servants:
$2,500 monthly salary +3% increase in year 1 ($75)= $2,575
Year 2 + 1% ($25) = $2600
Year 3 + 1% ($25) = $2625
2013 inflation rate = 2.29%
$2625 – $57.25 = $2,567.75
So all of this and your “caring” pm has offered you an extra $67 EC per month/$25 USD. Ask your diaspora friends and family if this is what you deserve. Destra got how much? Beres got how much? the economy of Barbados, how much??
You guys really aren’t serious. Simply fodder waiting for the next “massa” to make slaves out of you.
i want to see howw that unfold thus that is why all you vote for him. a promise is a comfort to a fool.
we going to get the 5 percent
What are the terms and conditions of the increase? At least it has to be reasonable, Dominica tax payers can’t support an outrageous increase. We can’t try to get water out of a stone. Just saying….
You voted for your increase, there should be no negotiations unless it is for an amount greater than what was promised. Good luck.
I waiting on my 5% so allu better accept, Mr. letang.
so why not ask for 20 percent? 3 percent for the next year will just be 42 dollars more for many teachers who work all day, and go home at night to continue the work for the next day
After all people like you cant stand not even for your right after being humilated so long no increase in wages you seems to forget that amount of money which was spent lavasily; all the forms of illegality in that election ;this expences will be paid by you and the many others who had no part in these decision making weak minded and so much more to say think about them and stand for your right join the fight;aim higher then you will get your value.
Tell them to hurry up. If it includes back pay, I do not blame you for your eagerness to receive it..
The General Elections campaign are over. The Government salary increase offer to Public Officers of 3:1:1 is hereby officially withdrawn.
lol,
let them wait for it
So Skerrit made a statement on a political platform, and three Unions are scrambling to meet their constituents, eh? Is Skerrit part of the team meeting those Unions? Was the offer from the Government? Was it budgetted for? Does a statement by the PM on a partisan political platform amount to a genuine offer, irrevocable and made in good faith?
I asked these very same questions today.
My sentiments exactly! The offer on the political platform constitutes a ‘bribe’ to gain votes, and nothing more.
A kick SKERRIT GOING TO GIVE ALL YOU,NEXT ON THE AGENDA.
Grell very funny but it is true so true.