4% offer an insult to public servants

THE EDITOR: Having seen via the media that the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has now offered four per cent to public servants and as a former daily-rated employee and a member of the NUGFW, I say no to the four per cent.

This is an insult to the public servants who toil each day to serve the nation.

Public servants have to face high food prices, high gas prices, high cost of living and a pandemic. To come now and say to them in 2022 to take four per cent is a disgrace.

I say to my brother and sister public servants that it’s time to hit the streets and pound the pavement again and remind this government that you are the life force of the government workforce.

I remember in 2008 I marched around the Queen’s Park Savannah with the NUGFW and we demanded better wages and a better cost of living allowance. By standing together we were able to break the backs of the PNM government led by the late prime minister Patrick Manning.

The current PNM government led by Dr Rowley just gave itself $7.5 million to spend on Independence Day celebrations but we are going to celebrate potholes, unemployment and poor governance.

All public servants must boycott all of these celebrations as the Government has given them no reason to celebrate and has instead treated public servants as second class citizens. Let’s all stand as one movement and let the Government know the workers are the people who shape this nation.

BRIAN BAIG

via e-mail