Fire Service members accept CPO's 4 % salary offer

After an emergency meeting with Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Dr Daryl Dindial, the executive of the Fire Service Associations (first and second divisions) accepted his four per cent salary offer as members voted in favour of it.

The CPO is appealing to other associations to accept the offer.

A statement from the CPO's office on Friday said the associations signed off on a memorandum of agreement (MoA) accommodating the salary increase for 2014-2016 and 2017-2019.

Apart from the increase, the associations signed off on improving allowances and revising some existing benefits applicable to its members.

Adjustments were made to allowances such as protective suit maintenance, house and meal, travelling and facilities, special responsibility, special Tobago allowance, and Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

Officers who retired compulsorily, voluntarily, and with permission on the grounds of illness from January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2015, are to receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $4,000

"Additionally, new allowances such as land, search and rescue, legal unit, information technology and air condition technology were included along with an agreement to conduct a job evaluation exercise," the statement said.

"The CPO stated throughout the negotiations process that the State demonstrated its commitment to honouring its offer, despite the matter being referred to the Special Tribunal of the Industrial Court."

Dindial said the Government's priority remained the preservation of jobs in TT's economy, and that the role of the State as an employer could not be divorced from its role as manager of the economy.

Dindial, it said, noted that several Caricom countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and Jamaica, had wage freezes during the period under review.

He added that several Caricom countries also retrenched workers in their public service to reduce expenditure.

The statement said, "He is thankful that this was not our reality."

Dindial thanked officers for their "continuous demonstration of commitment" to serving the public and protecting the lives and property of the people.

He added there were many outstanding issues that the personnel department was continuing to work on to improve the lives, welfare, and well-being of the officers and other stakeholders.

Dindial also thanked the associations' executives for their leadership and for working tirelessly on behalf of their membership.

The ten-page MoA between the CPO and the Fire Services Association (second division) for January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, and January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019, said salaries remain unchanged from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015, for full-time monthly paid workers.

From January 1 - December 31, 2016, the agreement has a two per cent salary increase, representing 24.4 per cent of the market shift from 2011 to 2014.

Salaries then held firm from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018. But from January 1 - December 31, 2019, the parties agreed on a two per cent increase representing 49.3 per cent of the market shift from 2011 to 2014.

The new COLA for January 1 - December 31, 2018, is $240 monthly, and from January 1 - December 31, 2019, is $255.

Effective December 1, 2021, the monthly house allowance stood at $1,518 for married officers and $1,086 for single ones.

The monthly meal allowance from December 1, 2021, is $698.

On transfer between Trinidad and Tobago, from December 1, 2021, the transfer allowance is $1,040 monthly, with housing allowance (Tobago to Trinidad ) $2,100 monthly and (Trinidad to Tobago) $2,835 monthly.

A two-page letter of understanding dated Thursday and addressed to the association's president (second division) Leo Ramkissoon, said the parties continued to pursue the possibility of finalisation in the matters of the MoA.

"In addition, notwithstanding that allowances have been revised with effect from December 1, 2021, which is outside of the periods of the MoA, it does not preclude potential adjustments for allowances in subsequent trienniums, that is, commencing January 1, 2010," the letter signed by the CPO said.

"The agreement is subject to the consideration and agreement of Cabinet."