Unions to make recommendations to P.M.

Myvette says that in two weeks, the union leaders will collate the response from their membership and then they will meet with the Prime Minister. Part of their response to the PM’s proposals, will include a minimum salary adjustment figure.

George Myvette, Immediate Past President, APSSM

“The salary adjustment basically takes place over three years under the assumption that the economy grows consecutively over the next three years. So they would proceed from July 2014 to 2015, 2016 and they should be concluded in 2017. If for whatever reason, there is no economic growth in a particular year, then that year is basically deferred and so there is kind of a roll over until the thirty percent quantum is realized.”

Jose Sanchez

“That floor that you were referring to, is there any proposal that’s been brought by the membership of what they would want to see as that minimum quantum?”

George Myvette

“Yes. The floor, quote unquote, varies from three percent to eight percent. You will recall that our proposal to government is that based on cost of living adjustments, inflation has been at a rate of thirty/thirty-one percent over the last ten years. And so we have proposed to government that they attend the salary adjustments in three increments of ten percent each. What the proposal has is that the optimum quantum should be ten percent per annum; it should not go beyond ten percent. Our membership feels differently. They feel that it should be a shared sacrifice. And they feel that if for whatever reason, the economy gets a super boost, then public officers should also benefit in terms of their take home.”