PUBLIC sector unions are treating with scepticism a special meeting the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Dr Daryl Dindial called on October 24 as a prerequisite to engaging in wage negotiations for the period January 2020-December 2022.
In an immediate response to a release from the CPO about the meeting, president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Leroy Baptiste said this was nothing more “than a stunt by the CPO, aimed at supporting the political agenda of the People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.”
[caption id="attachment_1112040" align="alignnone" width="958"] Leroy Baptiste, PSA president -[/caption]
Baptiste accused both the government and the CPO of leveraging the desperation of workers – who have been waiting on proper salary increases since 2013 – before Christmas when there is a need to spend.
“This is gamesmanship, not negotiations and the CPO is assisting the PNM to roll back and take away all the terms and conditions that have been hard won over the years, such as cost of living allowances (COLA).”
Fire Service Association president Keone Guy also expressed scepticism. But said his union is prepared to negotiate in good faith, although he sees a pattern emerging from the last negotiation for the January 2014 to December 2019 period when they were forced to accept four per cent.
The PSA and the Contractors and General Workers Trade Union (CGWTU) have yet to accept the four per cent.
The October 24 virtual meeting follows the directive from Finance Minister Colm Imbert in his September 30 budget presentation for the CPO to start wage negotiations for the stated period with a five per cent offer.
[caption id="attachment_1112039" align="alignnone" width="563"] President of the Fire Service Association (2nd Division) Keone Guy. -[/caption]
The unions had initially rejected what it termed negotiations by public decree, which they said was seeking to circumvent established methods of bilateral negotiations, considering Imbert already painted a picture of challenging financial circumstances.
During his budget presentation, Imbert said, “This increase (five per cent) is estimated to cost the government an additional $475 million per year in recurrent expenditure, with back pay up to the end of 2024 estimated at over $1 billion. It will be difficult to find the money to make these payments, but we think it is only fair and just.”
An October 24 release from the office of the CPO stated that as a prerequisite to engaging in wage negotiations, the CPO extended invitations to eleven unions and associations as well as the TT Defence Force (TTDF) for the special meeting.
Neither the TT Police Service Social and Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) nor the PSA attended the meeting, which was facilitated by the Personnel Department and the Ministry of Finance.
Its aim, the CPO said, was to highlight the current economic landscape and provide a comprehensive overview of the state’s financial status.
Baptiste took issue with this reason for the meeting, saying he was subjected to over
