PRESS RELEASE - Public sector unions and associations will meet with Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Kenny D. Anthony, members of the Cabinet and officials from the Ministry of Finance on Friday, June 13 to continue discussions on the fiscal challenges facing the government.
At that meeting, representatives will convey the reactions of the Unions and Associations to the proposals presented by the prime minister.
Despite public pronouncements made by various union leaders, Prime Minister Anthony says he has not lost total faith in the consultation process.
Speaking on his weekly radio program IN TOUCH on LOVE FM, yesterday, Wednesday, the Prime Minister said, “It is vital that we continue to engage the leaders of the unions and the associations as I believe consensus is the best way forward. While some suggested earlier that our minds were made up and it made no sense to talk, the Government’s actions have proved otherwise. ”
The Minister for Finance disclosed that the government was of the view that there should be shared sacrifice and all public officers, irrespective of grade or rank, should be asked to consider wage cuts. However, at the commencement of the deliberations with the unions, a suggestion was made that workers at lowest grades should be protected.
“We saw the merit in the argument that workers from Grades one, two and three should be protected. We listened to these arguments and accepted. Contrary to what is being said in public we took the suggestion into consideration and adjusted accordingly,” Anthony said.
The prime minister emphasised that the problem which exists, “is a problem which is within the Government, caused in large measure by excessive expenditure on salaries and wages. The government cannot continue to compel the public at large to fix a problem which has been caused by our approach to wage negotiations in the past.”
In his address to the nation on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, the Prime Minister thanked all who participated in the consultations and stated that the discussions, to date, were cordial and free from rancor.
Notwithstanding recent developments, Dr. Anthony says he is confident that talks will continue in the same spirit as obtained in the last three meetings, as he seeks consensus on responding to the fiscal challenges facing the island.