B.N.T.U.’s Palacio Insists G.O.B. Must Make Concessions for Deferred Salary Adjustment
Luke Palacio
On Monday, B.N.T.U. national president Luke Palacio offered further clarification on the matter of the salary adjustment, which the Government has homed in on as being ignored or set aside in favour of the eight points B.N.T.U. raised with the Government in the interest of good governance. According to Palacio, the Government has refused to say what it will give in exchange for the deferral since the money is there to pay. The Government cites hurricane Earl relief as a greater priority at this time.
Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.
“As to the Government having its supporters calling and saying, ‘Look, why unu no just tek unu three percent and done,’ the government has refused vehemently to agree to our position at B.N.T.U., that the request the Prime Minister made for us to defer our salary adjustment; we said to him you have to give us something for it. He is steadfast in his no. We are steadfast in our position. We have not given up and we will not give up on our three percent salary adjustment, and if indeed he can make some concession in terms of ensuring – because contrary to what they make people believe, this country has no money; contrary to that they continue their reckless spending. That money is money that Government had raised from last financial year, so it’s not as if the unions are being unreasonable, or asking for anything that they do not deserve and was not there before. It is a strategic tactic for those who want to believe him, and those who want to listen to him. But he is being disingenuous, because we have made it absolutely clear to Prime Minister Dean Barrow: we have our conditions to accept your request for deferral. The other two unions for whatever reasons decided that they’ll accept the deferral – that is neither here nor there. We were never told that you were coming to negotiate or to answer this request. You must all agree either one way or the other. We are saying we will not just give up our three percent at the request of the Prime Minister for a deferral without him giving us back something for it. And the eight points are totally separate.”
