 |
| PRESIDENT OF TUF - JULIAN MONROSE |
CASTRIES,
St.Lucia, Thursday November 29, 2012 - Disgruntled officials of the Trade Union
Federation (TUF) stormed out of wage talks with Government Wednesday claiming
they felt insulted at the administration’s zero response to their wage proposal
for public sector workers for the 2010-2013 triennium.
TUF
officials who placed a request for a 16 per cent increase spread over three
years were stunned by the government’s proposed wage freeze over the three year
period and immediate payment of EC$1000 Christmas bonus.
“At
the meeting with the Government negotiating team we were offered a wage freeze.
We were told to take zero for the first year, zero for the second year and zero
for the third year and in lieu of that to accept a one-time payment of one
thousand dollars.
We
indicated to the government negotiation team that we consider the offer an
insult, and therefore we were unable to continue any discussions with them,”
Monrose said.
The
TUF official said their request for a 16 percent increase would involve an
increase of five per cent in the first year, five per cent in the second and
six per cent in the third.
But
he said based on the response of the Government’s negotiation team the unions
will now be meeting separately with their members, cautioning that the
government team should allow good sense to prevail at the soonest.
“The
survival of this country is important to all of us, we all live here so we take
everything into consideration. We feel just as responsible as anyone else to
save this country when it needs saving, so we are not in a position to
contemplate any form of industrial action at this time. The only immediate
action we will embark on is to continue to consult our members and continue to
talk to the government negotiating team in the hope that good sense will
prevail,” he added.
The
wage talks between Trade Union Federation and the government negotiators are
several months overdue and were only able to get underway this week following
the intervention of Prime Minister Kenny Anthony.
The
Federation, which appeared to have been gearing up for some form of protest
action over the delay, had issued an ultimatum to government requesting the
commencement of negotiations by Thursday last week.
Monrose
says he hopes to wrap up discussions on wages by December 12. (CMC)
Source:
http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/st_lucia_news/639908.html#ixzz2DhYaA5v1
No comments:
Post a Comment