On July 1st this year, public officers will receive 1.25 percent salary increase as part of a three-year agreement which the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) has negotiated with the government of Dominica.
DPSU General Secretary, Thomas Letang told Dominica News Online (DNO) during an interview last week that the union and the government have reached an agreement for the 2018-2021 triennium which includes a 1.25 percent increase in the first year and in the second year, a one-time payment which is equivalent to one (1) month’s salary. There will be no salary increase for the third year.
“We consulted with our members and while what we really wanted in terms of level of the increase, a number of factors did influence our decision that has to do with the current state of the economy,” Letang stated. “In spite of what people may think, we believe that the economy is not in a good shape.”
He added, “The fact [is] that we haven’t had any new industry, a number of businesses have closed in recent times and we were impacted by Covid-19 and Hurricane Maria.”
The DPSU boss said the government will contribute $250,000 to the DPSU’s medical fund and $300,000 to its education fund.
“The education fund is another one where we provide soft loans to not only members, but also to the children of the members,” Letang noted. “So the government will be making the contribution towards that fund as well as $100,000 to our revolving fund.”
He stated that the government will also provide $20,000 annually to the union for the training of members.
According to Letang, the government has committed to take to the Dominica Parliament for enactment, no later than June/July 2021, a Bill which will significantly improve the terms and conditions of non-established public officers “in terms of their vacation leave, their sick leave, study leave among other things”
He added that the government was also receptive to the union’s proposal to facilitate assistance to public officers after a disaster that will not require them having to go to parliamentarians.
“Government has agreed to our proposal and that is to establish a fund and every year budgetary allocations will be made towards that fund and there will be a roll over, so whatever is left in a previous year will roll into the next year,” the DPSU official noted.
He said the fund will be managed by the establishment department and the oversight committee will consist of the union executive, the union representatives and permanent secretaries.
“The idea is to have that fund operated with no influence from the politicians,” Letang remarked.
The idea of subsidized housing for public officers was also discussed according to Letang and it is hope that before the end of the month, subject to the availability of the Prime Minister, the union will be meeting with the government to develop a concept for that particular matter.
“So far, nobody has lost their jobs and we want it to remain that way,” said the union chief.
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Et tu, Thomas????????
This is bull shit , excuse my language when he skereit was a teacher he couldn’t even afford to drive a vehicle , all of them know the plite of civil servants. What are you sending them to do get involve in drugs and other illegal activities of so they can live comfortably like you and your cronnies that are selling passports. The amount of lawyers that are selling passports now it’s sickening. Some of them look like zombies because they don’t even have time today take care of themselves. It’s money they are after. Let’s see if you guys will take ur money and big houses to the grave when God calls you
Brother Letang, it looks like Skerrit peed on your shoe and ask if your foot is wet and all you can say is “thank you Sir”. You call that negotiating then, getting paid for work you did three years ago? Man that is not very clever is it. Imagine you do a job of work for someone and negotiate the price after you have complete the job, not before? Well, you wouldn’t make a good businessman would you.
You know this is very infuriating. Why does increase for ministers always have to be like 50% but for people who actually work it has to be some of these insignificant increases. People you all need to do something. It’s not about party support. It’s about your future and whether you will be able to provide for yourselves after you retire.
See how many of our educated professionals are out there in the world doing great things and fear the very thought of coming back home. Salaries are way too small and this is causing us to lose all our brilliant minds. People fight for yourselves. Fight.
DPSU are you serious? And you members accept that? Skerrit is right to say Dominica is NOT a real country. I have to assume the public officers are working in a FEARFUL environment. Otherwise industrial would take place covid or not. This is unbelievable!!!! down with the DPSU negotiation team….Rise up general membership
Let’s say you make Five Thousand dollars ($5,000) a month (in reality only very very few gov’t employees make $5,000 monthly). Let’s calculate your increase.
$5,000 x 1.25% = $62.5 before Tax.
Seems like Skerrit just bought the Union for cheap cheap.
If you make less than 5Gs, don’t waste your calculator battery please..
$5000 is what ppl way up the scale would get. The average salary for most ppl in the public service is between $1600-$3000.
So calculate again.
This whole things is just laughable
sounds more like a two year agreement. a 1.25 increase (lets say salary is EC$1,500 a month x 1.25% =EC$18.75 more/increase). so you get to hold a 20 dollars. Bravo.
Second year you will get a bonus of one month’s salary. no problem with that.
Third year of the agreement. Nothing for you. I guess thats what was agreed. I have to wonder who negotiates on their behalf. Teachers now have the power to make the powers that be feel them. If only they unite and demand better for themselves.
We the People must Get Rid of this failed Skerrit and his family Inmature Labour government.
It’s obvious that our Nature Isle Dominica needs to have in our Stardi Officeorr mature intellectual visionary committed Professional dedicated Political The Party in our Government. The UWP has proven their maturity, politically Decent and visionary.
We are Fedup with this Red Clinic deceptiveness
Bobolistic Red Clinic openly Fiasco. It’s obvious that this Labour government and its failed questionable incompetent Labour government and leadership has failed our people and our Dominica. This Labour government must move out after a failed visionless Incompetent Immature visionless Labour party leadership and failed government.
We welcome our Decent professional trustworthy Leader of the Opposition in the trusted distinguished experienced commited person, our Hon. Lennox Linton and his trusted formidable UWP Team. We get rid of Skerrit’s failed incompetent Questionable Labour government…
Let me see allyou service in that country … 5 dollars for a sadine now… Look skerite put tax on people that trying to make a dollar in renting they apartment.. skerite and his gang saving millions of dollars.. them fellas passing on ride with darkers and laghing dominicans when they walking in Roseau.. the man wife and her friends playing heavy counting how much money they have save up in the bank and how they going to enjoy that.. but I think that Dominjcans has to be one of the most idiotic set of people on the face of this planet.. how in Earth can a people have one political party in office for all that time? First time I see tht in my life.. these people in office from since 2000 .. and Dominicans just sit down ther.. no increase in salary but social security increase the amount .. chineess taking over Roseau and employing young Dominicans to be like slaves for 4.00 dollars an hour.. no boy all you people have no value.. no ambition and y’all just like plantation slaves..
Letang is the biggest joke in that country. After 20 years you negotiate a raise of 1.25% with a government that just approved 64k for the rent of a man own house while his house hold is already making 20k a month plus additional allowances. How is that going to help a young single person buy a piece of land build a home and grow wealth. The government is trowing a lil favour here and there to appease the incompetence. Divide the amount given by the amount of civil servants and tell me how much that has amount to. Btw the PM and his wife they are costing the state 900k a year in salary and living cost. I am not adding the other allowances. Letang has been in that position to long and i think need to step down get someone who is not a kiss back side and who is brave enough to unite the other civil unions and groups. This is a joke. This is no different from hush money and pittance.
While the Public Servants are directly or indirectly facilitating the enrichment if a few, they themselves are getting poorer and poorer and they seem not to even care whether their standards of living continue to get worse. A few locals and foreigners are making millions, / billions, more money is deposited in some escrow A/c than in our Treasury, although it is our passports that are being sold.
The 1.25% had already been swallowed up. The cost of living has skyrocketed. Public Servants are being fooled again about fund and money in fund for them. Remember the Airport funds?
The Middle Class has been wiped out. No stimulus package although Covid-19 caused much hardships. However, passport sellers were still making millions. MMC making even more, apart from selling passports, from construction of buildings.
The DPSU does not effectively represent it’s struggling members. Letang should realize that a few are reaping off the country and causing much…
DPSU Member, what exactly you expect Thomas Letang to do especially under this fake failed funny Labour Party Prime (Odd) Minister who it appears after over 20years in our Government.
This current Labour Party Government has been a failure to our government, our Governance and our People overall. It’s pretty obvious due the failure of this failed incompetent Questionable inmature Skerrit as Prime Minister. Skerrit is obviously not State Leadership Material. This failed incompetent Questionable Labour government and its incompetent failed immature Labour government.
Our people and our Nature Isle Dominica desperately is in need of well known as well versed, well trusted and developmentally mature intellectual visionary committed to the caring of our Struggling people and poverty Dominica created by this failed incompetent Skerrit Labour government. We desperately need change to take our government/country back. We therefore need Decent leadership in Hon. Lennox Linton and UWP Team.
This is my final comment on this proposed microscopic increase in salary for the long suffering public servants. I’m not even sure that this will come to fruition for the ornamental doctor overpromises and underdelivers.
If I work for $800 weekly, my increase will be $10. This cannot even buy nice tasting candies.
This percentage of increase is infinitesimal even if you don’t factor in inflation. It’s ridiculously insignificant. You cannot even see this increase even if you use the world’s most sophisticated microscope.
Look out for the DLP political operatives to shower praise on the least qualified but wealthiest prime minister Roosevelt Vladimir Skerrit) in the Eastern Caribbean.
With this negligible increase in wages, the vast majority of Dominicans will continue to live from hand to mouth in perpetual squalor. The standard of living will stubbornly remain at floor level.
I am asking as it is not stated clearly. So it is clear that the 1.5% increase will begin July 1. It is stated that for the second year a one-time payment equivalent to one month’s salary will be paid. It is not stated though at what point that payment will be made. Is this information available?
Thank you.
Here comes the blame game for denying public servants a livable wage and no increase in salary for over a decade.
The wages and salaries of public servants in Dominica are the lowest in the ECCU. With this 1.25% increase, those who are paid $400 weekly will receive $5 extra. Those who get $3000 monthly will get a whopping $37 more.
The unconscionable ruling oligarchy uses Erika, Maria and COVID-19 for this miniscule increase. Were these not factors for Mr. Skerrit’s $64 000 monthly rental and living fees before he took up residence in kingly castle?
Public servants, your union is toothless under Mr. Letang’s stewardship. Fire him forthwith. Your union dues can be put to much better use in these economically desperate times. A 1.25% is embarrassingly ridiculous after more than twenty (20) years of HARD LABOUR.
Don’t forget to take out the $8 in tax and social security on the $37 increase.
You should see the massive wall he is building around his farm now. Maria Erica and Covid not stopping that though.
Rent increase – 20%
Supermarket – prices sky high
Everything at the market – $5.00
Public officers – settling for 1.5% and an extra salary.
What can I say? Who am I to jump and quarrel?
Dominicans like it so! As long as their PM is living like a king, they are content begging and live on the crumbs he gives them!
Tell me mr Letang, are you the owner of the company which has the cleaning contract with government? Begs a questions ain’t it.
So what for the 3rd year? The economy is bad? Where was that ever said? They pretend everything is all right. Well that good for public officers. Look take that! Play politics. Continue.
Exactly!!! Public Officers are to blame for this. Their party is more important than their pocket. Some of them benefit – ask the messenger from Louis Ville that is back on contract; the others will suck salt.
Leave Mr. Letang alone. Public Officers need to take what they get and done
Police and nurses don’t deserve that raise some of them to lazy you go at a hospital nurses on phone only in dominica and patients there dying left right what a disgrace if not they dirty in there urine lazy
The DPSU boss said the government will contribute $250,000 to the DPSU’s medical fund and $300,000 to its education fund.
“The education fund is another one where we provide soft loans to not only members, but also to the children of the members,” Letang noted. “So the government will be making the contribution towards that fund as well as $100,000 to our revolving fund.”
This is only done to shut union up. The civil servants work for the state and the state should be providing training and everything else at state expenses. The purpose of the union is to ensure the state compensate the employees and give benifits. Why is state putting finds in the union stuff to manage. This looks like a union bribe. Finally they get a raise but there is a reason it is not going to help the current situation