“Inhumane” and “undemocratic” were the words used by General Secretary of The Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU), Thomas Letang to describe aspects of the government’s Fiscal Responsibility Bill which was to have been tabled in parliament on Monday but was withdrawn shortly before the commencement of the meeting.
He said if a government is going to parliament with a bill which will impact public officers, there should be prior consultation with all stakeholders.
“This was very insensitive because what is normally done is you will find a government wants to take public officers to assist in moving the economy forward and that government would engage the unions and public sectors in discussion and would come up with some short-term measures to improve the situation,” Letang said during an interview with Dominica News Online (DNO).
On Monday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a statement that what he described as a misleading message by the opposition was circulating on WhatsApp stating that the government will enact legislation to restrict public officers’ salaries for the next 12 years, to no more than 2% in any given year if the economy grows by a certain rate, but no more than 1% if it does not.
The prime minister said the interpretation of that part of the Bill as contained in the message was a “deliberate and malicious” attempt by the opposition and explained that the 2% referred to in the Fiscal Responsibility Bill is in respect to the overall recurrent expenditure and not specifically relating to the wage bill or salary increases or negotiation of salaries.
Letang said when he received information that the bill was being taken to Parliament, he contacted his executive and suggested to meet that morning to discuss the matter. He later got in contact with the Police Welfare Association as well as the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) and decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister and also convey their concerns to the leader of the opposition so that the Bill could be withdrawn.
The letter was hand delivered to the Cabinet Secretary to be given to the prime minister before commencement of the House meeting.
According to the Letang, although the government did try to reach DPSU at around 8am on Monday to discuss the matter, the union could not “entertain” the conversation because they were in the middle of an executive meeting.
“I was not going to leave the executive meeting to come to have a discussion just for it to be said you had a consultation with us at the last minute. This is not consultation,” the DPSU declared “You engage us in discussion; you tell us what your plans are; we provide you with an input and at the end, there is an agreement and we move forward. That is a consultation.”
The DPSU will be meeting next week with the DAT as well as the Police Welfare Association to come up with a joint position on the matter.
“We are not going to have a discussion until such time that we have a legal opinion on the matter. All the unions and representative bodies are all in this together because this is not right and the union will not accept it,” Letang said.
He said the union will continue to be proactive and mobilize their membership to take the correct action in the event the government returns to parliament with the same Bill.
“All communication to deal with that matter, we will make sure that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are aware of the position we are taking,” the DPSU official noted.
DNO sought the feedback from other association representing public officers to include the Dominica Teachers Association (DTA) and the Police Welfare Association (PWA).
While DTA says they have not received a copy of the proposed bill to comment publicly on the matter, PWA says they are currently in discussion with the membership and waits consultation with the government on their intended action.
Lin Clown 🤡🤡 We have IGNORED your Clownish🤡behaviour and FAILED SKERRIT so called PRIME MINISTER. You have penned complicated loyalty thoughts of this failed incompetent Questionable inmature Failed L’abour Government PRIME MINISTER (?).
Therefore Dominicans has ignored and STOPPED Listening & Laughing at this Obvious Outdated Incompetent Idiotic Labour BS Nuisance. We need this Immature Visionless Labour Government PRIME MINISTER (?) Out of office where he has failed our Government, Our People and our DOMINICA. SKERRIT is NOT PRIME MINISTER material. It’s all about this gaming fame and loyalty through this ongoing so called RED CLINIC BOBOL DECEITFULLNESS Nonsensical BOBOLISTIC thoughts.
Our People and our Dominica and Government desperately needs Knowledgeable People of “Good GOVERNMENT, Loyalty, Visionary and Decent GOVERNANCE. We have had and heard too much of this on-going thoughts of “Go to Hell”, None of your Damn Business.
Welcome Team ‘UWP Hon.LINTON as our PRIME…
Letang sounds like the deputy leader of the Useless Wicked People.
Did Letang read and understood what he really read?
Letang was quick to act on impulse. The leader of the opposition WhatsApp him and that was it. Two fools singing the blues.
…and you sound like the deputy leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party or commonly referred to as DLP.
Yes, it is – “INHUMAN and UN-DEMOCRATIC. We again pledged and request that this Failed LABOUR GOVERNMENT under this Failed Incompetent Irrelevant Visionless Skerrit must get the Hell OUT of our Government, our Dominica and our SUFFERING Peoples’ over 20 Long Failed Years of this Incompetent SKERRIT PRIME MINISTER and his Failed Outdated be Labour Government. Again we have to Openly Comment that Our People desperately need decent Trusted Committed professional Trustworthy Formidable UWP Team Under it’s well TRUSTED United Workers Party and its decent highly Professional, Dedicated Committed Leader of the Opposition, our Dignified Hon. LENNOX LINTON for PRIME MINISTER and Trusted United Workers Party.
DOMINICANS, please Wake Up. We need change and we welcome The United Workers Party.
We have to strongly announced that Failed SKERRIT MUST Go.
We need to take back our Government and our Country, Dominica.WAKE UP OUR PEOPLE.
APRES BONDIE CE LATER. GOD🙏iS GOOD. We Need DECENT…
Dominicans has stopped falling for THOMAS BALLS LETANG and his BS.They remember what BALLS did to Dale Laurent and the other workers at Public Works.The majority of Public Servants are not as DA as Jonathan,IBO and %.They will NEVER support BALLS.Remember his famous words “We the government by their BALLS”Everything BALLS touch is political,Dominicans know that,and,this DLP government is going nowhere
Madam Lin Clown🤡, to be honest, if you are NOT able to openly Comprehend the bigger picture and concerns of our aching Dominica and it’s suffering unemployed people and families, please be quiet and go read on the Concept of poverty as it works, also on the Functions and management of “Good Governance…and Good GOVERNMENT” then go to school 🏫 to capture the bigger picture of how a Country is well governed and managed without the obvious OPEN BOBOLISTIC management our Peoples’ Government and the decency in good management and respect of our Dominican Politicians and Political Party. If this FAILED SKERRIT is unable to run and manage our States Financial Resources and the Socio-Economic Development Concept of our Government, Country and its People, please get SKERRIT to ‘Go to HELL”, he’s none of our Damn Business. We have Exceptionally good TRUSTED people to lead our Government and our Dominica. We welcome Our Distinguished Trusted committed Hon LENNOX LINTON.
God Bless 🙏…
Hoping Mr. Letang means business.
In the photo, Letang shows his 10 fingers; meaning Team work.
The King Liar, sticks it up with 1 finger; meaning one Man show….
And those labourites moo moo. They see and hearing you know. Smh skerrit pushing poopoo in their mouth and telling them is peanut butter and they tasting de …. but they still agree is peanut butter. Smh
Mr Latang Go and read the bill and then come back and say what you see and not what you think.
DPSU Leader Thomas Letang, congrats on your continued Focus and obligation to our devoted, hard working Civil Servants. It is Indeed a formidable Challenge for our Civil Servants and the service that endure everyday in the City, and the Communities and our Rural hard WORKING Civil Servants especially those who are well positioned and are well knowledgeable of the challenges, poverty, unemployment in the Rural Districts/Villages and Communities. These areas are in need of upliftment and to be well recognised to be Committed and protect our villages and its People, the Teachers, Farmers, Nurses, the village Council etc to be regularly consult, engaged with all of our residents and the professionals who ought to be engaged in supporting the Village Councils and Village Councils in the Upliftment of their Villages, Children, Farmers, Teachers ETC. Please take the Leadership and control of your proud Villages in partnership with your people.
Good Luck🤞😃🍀.Gods Blessings🙏and Guidance.
Wow, now we know who wanted to cause ‘confusion’. It was the Dishonourable Dr. Dr. Prime minister. Who would have thought. Perhaps he’s also causing ‘confusion’ with our CBI money? When are we finally getting together to kick this man out of our country??
There we go, Skerrit has been lying again! Why does anybody in Dominica believe a word this man is saying. It’s the same with the CBI funds, he keeps on lying about it or nowadays he just keeps quiet. The man is hiding billions of OUR money and we let him get away with it and live a life of luxury? Stop acting like fool.
“Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it!” If this Government was committed to public consultation like most democracies in the world, then such embarrassment to the Government would be completely avoided. For example in the UK all public consultation on Government policy changes and new laws must be open for public discussion and comments for a minimum of 12 weeks! This Labour party Government needs to engage and publicly consult more with the masses, the general public, have a two way conversation on issues, and not a one sided diktat! Nowadays Prime Minister Rosevelt Skerrit you acting just like Prime Minister Patrick John in the days before we Dominicans overthrow him and got rid of him, led by President of CSA Charles Savarin in the 1970’s! Dominicans wake up! Prime Minister Rosevelt Skerrit is really taking Dominica and Dominicans to a whole other level but he should remember that, “Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it!”
But to me if you plan to curtail recurrent expenditure in that manner, you are curtailing salaries (which may well be a major part of recurrent expenditure). In other words, you are ready to kill the collective bargaining process.
Good move Mr. Letang. Parliament meeting at 10am and they calling at 8am. What nonsense is this. Tell government to stop giving contracts to their cronies after they have retired for one thing…..like the Government Printer for example. Someone else can do that job easily
But to me if you plan to curtail recurrent expenditure in that manner, you are curtailing salaries (which may well be a major part of recurrent expenditure). In other words, you are ready to kill the collective bargaining process.
Good move Mr. Letang. Parliament meeting at 10am and they calling at 8am. What nonsense is this. Tell government to stop giving contracts to their cronies after they have retired for on thing…..
Skerrit, Boy Letang, I am warning you!
Letang, excuse me!? What did you say, WORLD BOSS?
En-bon-dar Skerro, he back back like a crayfish! Now he realize who run things in Dca! Yeah its we the people. Let him eat crow and take it like a Mal-mama
.
This is a warning, he is merely a servant and NOT a king as he would like to believe. A mix of Lenox and Letang is not very healthy for Skerro. Letang eat his breakfast, lunch and dinner clean! Doh mess with the DPSU president partner!
Steve the neighbor is your lavaboe not Letang. 
Confusion, chaos, controversy and ill-intent are all bosom friends of Skerrit and his loyalists. He wants to impose his voodoo mathematics and his zombie economics on the working poor. Glad to see that have grown a spine, Mr. Letsng. you, Mr. Letang,.
Bad legislation is passed when the majority of people remain docile . Bad politicians remain in power when people of influence remain mute in the face of atrocities.
Time to stand up my people and be counted. Your country needs you now more than ever before in light of this all out assault on our democracy by the fully fledged autocracy,
Thanks, Mr Letang for what you are doing for Dominca. Pope Francis said that God calls us to be free from fear, worldly power and hypocritical outward show. He also said that only a free country is a credible country. You are surely doing your part to ensure that Dominica remains free from tyranny. Skerritt said that he runs things in Dominca, but he forgot that there is a man named Thomas Letang here too. For a man who used to be a teacher and the education minister, Skerritt is a disappointment and willfully dishonest and conniving individual. He has been stopped more than once from doing what he wants and it won’t be the last. There is still hope that his hypocritical outward show won’t work in the long run.
As a little boy, my mother had four children, and she would always “””cut our tails””” if she suspected that we would try to LIE
to her…As a prime minister, liar Skerrit is taking pride to lie to an entire nation…His intention was to sneak the bill through in the same way he intended to go to parliament to make treating and bribing legal…
Dominica is in this predicament because our leadership in the past was never based on LIES, TRICKERY, DECEIPT and DECEPTION as it is today..See how the bad leadership has brought Choksi to our shores, before him Monfared.. I have always described liar Skerrit as evil, and wicked, and no one can convince me to the contrary..
Guess the economy he always boast he is leading with fiscal prudence is COLLAPSING under his lying feet.
Oh What an egregious an inveterate LIAR!!!