President of the A.P.S.S.M. Says Discussions to Resume with Government on Increment Freeze

Sharon Fraser

Earlier in our newscast, you heard from Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser on the predicament she and her fellow lower court judges are faced with after the ceiling over courtrooms three, four, five and six caved in following heavy rains over the weekend. She also wears the hat of President of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, (A.P.S.S.M.), which comprises, as the name suggests, senior managers within the government system. They were part of the collective group of public employees who endured a ten percent salary cut and increment freeze as a part of the Briceño administration’s economic recovery plan. But now that the ten percent has been reinstated, the current discussion between government and the unions is over the increment freeze. Fraser said those discussions are to resume, but unlike the reinstatement of the ten percent, increments are not automatically given.

Sharon Fraser, President, A.P.S.S.M.

“H.O.Ds also get increments, so it affected them and I can tell you, I can honestly say that as late as yesterday, we had a meeting – that is the President of the P.S.U and myself on another matter with the Minister of the Public Service and the question was raised informally and in fact, he is saying they’re ready but there are just other things that have come into place and the Deputy Prime Minister should, at some point, be able to call a meeting. So that is where we are. I can tell you that we had raised the issue of our long-standing C.B.A. that still has not been signed off on yet and we still need to address it. So it doesn’t seem to me that there is any reluctance at least as far as the Minister of the Public Service is concerned, to meet with us. It is simply a matter of timing. And now Lisa has come along and you know everybody will say now they will blame Lisa but the unfortunate thing – Lisa came. So it’s an issue now of finding the right time to get all the parties together. I know that there are some members who are antsy about the delay but, as I said, I can only speak from my interaction that I had yesterday with the Minister of the Public Service and there doesn’t seem to be any reluctance on his part for us to have a meeting. He’s saying he’s ready. I don’t want the public to get the impression that they’re saying anything wrong in saying that increments are not automatic because they’re not automatic. It is based on performance and assessments.”