PSA talks tough

THE Public Services Association (PSA) is asking for a 35-percent wage increase for public servants to cover the 2005-2007 collective agreement. But according to PSA’s president, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, Government is “going in for its normal nonsense” and starting its offer at six percent.”

“The PSA wants nothing less than double digits,” said Baptiste-Primus while opening the first education seminar of the St Ann’s section of the PSA yesterday.

The one-day seminar was held at the Grand Hall, St Ann’s Hospital. She added that thus far, five meetings have been held between the PSA and the Chief Personnel Officer, acting on behalf of the government. She said they told the CPO not to come back unless with a double digit figure.

Baptiste-Primus also told her audience: “In this period of high oil prices, this country is extremely rich, don’t let them fool you all. The PSA has absolutely no problem with any Government increasing their remunerative packages, because running a country is a very exacting experience. So that we are not against the government giving themselves an increase. But what we hold against them is giving themselves 25 to 52 percent increase and six percent to public officers.”

Baptiste Primus said the PSA had conducted a very clinical analysis of the economy.

“We went through the Central Bank’s Quarterly reports which state how healthy the economy is; we studied the Prime Minister, noting what he said in his budget presentation; we studied all the statements made by government ministers on how healthy and robust the economy is and yet they are coming with six percent,” she said.