Duke: Government taking advantage of workers

Public Service Association (PSA) president Watson Duke has accused the government and Ag Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Beresford Riley of taking advantage of public servants.

On Sunday during a broadcast on Facebook, Duke further scrutinised the Prime Minister's announcement that public servants were required to return to work last Monday as restrictions implemented to slow the spread of covid19 were lifted.

Dr Rowley made the announcement on October 24 that, effective October 26, public servants were to return to their workplaces.

Duke said instruments were specially devised to allow public servants to access leave lawfully because of the constraints of covid19. He said those instruments were done in conjunction with the PSA and CPO with permission from the Minister of Finance. Duke charged, however, that Rowley had gone out his way to ensure workers’ demise.

“The Finance Minister instructed the Personnel Department to come up with a special provision called pandemic leave. It is not just for covid19 but any kind of pandemic. In that leave four categories of workers are covered.

“After the PM spoke last Saturday (October 24) and told the public servants to get back out to work, he has acted in bad favour.

"Nothing has changed. In fact, more people have died.”

Duke said Rowley had acted illegally in forcing workers back out to work in the middle of a pandemic.

“The same conditions that existed in March, April, May, June, July, August and September were the same circumstances that existed in October. It is not getting better; the danger continues to exist.

“What would have prompted the PM to tell worker get back out to work? It is hate, malice, spite. In the words of the late Patrick Manning, when he (Rowley) cannot have his way, he behaves like a raging bull!”

Duke said other ministers tried to defend Rowley but had failed to give adequate and sound reasons for their decisions and statements.

He said, “I have now come to the conclusion, although sad but true, the Minister of Public Administration (Allyson West), the CPO and all of these people are afraid of the PM. They are all playing games by telling you one thing, but their actions are resulting in something else.”

Duke also took a swing at Riley, accusing him of "ingenuine" acts against the public service sector and called for him to step down.

“The CPO is not a public servant. They put him there to brutalise the workers, because he is not thinking on his feet."

Duke asked why Riley had not issued circular number three.

“When it is time to issue circulars number one, two and four he has no problems, but circular number three, which he got instructions to deal with … he is holding it back. He is saying the permanent secretary has to look at it. That is jack--- talk. I do not want to hear it,” Duke said.

Previous provisions have allowed for manual terms of condition for the grant of time off in cases of exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters and acts of God. Circular number three, Duke said, identifies the creation of a new provision for people affected by the circumstances of the pandemic.

Duke said Rowley and Riley had been insensitive to the public servants' needs and re-iterated that workers should stay at home during the pandemic to supervise their children as online schooling is underway.