Is Pension Reform by April 1st a Realistic Expectation?

Luke Martinez

On Tuesday, Prime Minister John Briceño, in speaking with News Five, also broached the issue of pension reform which goes in tandem with increments for teachers and public officers.  According to Martinez, government’s intent to introduce pension reform by April first, is unrealistic considering the necessary research, consultations and work that need to be done ahead of its implementation.

Luke Martinez, President, N.T.U.C.B.

“We also, in our press release, we are paying keen attention to the government continuing to talk about pension reform and the joint unions maybe preparing to get into discussions about pension reform.  But what is concerning to us is that you hear people from the government side, ministers from the government continue to talk about trying to push for this pension reform as of April first.  That is six weeks from now and we are saying in our press release that that can’t be done.  The analysis, the technical analysis and the research and the consultation, you have to allow, the government has to allow for the collective bargaining process to prevail.  You can’t jump out and say that this is something that we want to do in April, it doesn’t work like that. We want our increments.  Of course, from day one we wanted our increments to be restored to dehn.  Remember now that while the Minister of Education mentioned to you that they are prepared to restore the increment April first, when yoh listen to the prime minister, the prime minister seh dat oh dehn noh sacrifice yet and da wahn sacrifice and we done seh we mi wahn restore that next year.  No man, yoh cyant di have multiple stories coming out of one room.  It has to be that you are in a position right now to restore the increments, restore the increments.  So on that… and I don’t want you to cut this out, right.  Run di people dehn increment now.”