Al-Rawi defends wage increase for public-sector workers

RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi says the five per cent wage offer is not being imposed on public-sector workers.

He also welcomed the increase in the minimum wage for public-sector workers as announced in the 2024/2025 budget, especially for workers who fall under his ministry, such as those in the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep).

He made these comments during a tour of the Southex Expo 2024 at Gulf City Mall, La Romaine on October 2.

In his budget presentation in the House of Representatives on September 30, Finance Minister Colm Imbert identified Cepep workers among those who will benefit from the minimum wage for the public sector being increased from $20.50 an hour to $22.50 an hour.

Al-Rawi said, "For the 10,000 Cepep workers, there are a whole cohort of those people that actually are at minimum wage, and therefore the $500 a month extra that may come to (as a result of the increased wage) is a material and good beneficial reallocation of monies."

On September 30, Imbert said he had instructed the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) to begin negotiations with those trade unions which previously accepted the government’s four per cent wage increase for January 2020-December 2022. The increase was for the 2014-2019 period.

He then sweetened the deal, increasing the offer for 2020-2022 to five per cent “even in the face of our challenging financial circumstances.”

While he said the Public Services Association (PSA) and National Union of Government and Federated Workers Trade Union (NUGFW) refused the four per cent and have referred the matter to the Industrial Court, Imbert urged both unions to accept the offer and move on.

Al-Rawi said, "The five per cent increase offer that the CPO will be making is the start of negotiations for the public sector."

He recalled that in the 2014-2019 period, most trade unions accepted the four per cent wage increase offered by the government.

For the 2020-2022 period, Al-Rawi continued, "The starting offer is five per cent on top of the four per cent you got already."

He observed some trade unions are opposed to the five per cent offer.

"Please remember there is a process to this. You have to start at a negotiating point.

"A five per cent increase is hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses annually extra and nearly a billion in backpay."

Al-Rawi said the five per cent offer should not be viewed as something that is being imposed on anyone.

"The starting offer must always be put on the table. The starting offer is five per cent."

Al-Rawi said government has indicated why this is its starting offer.

"That's what we know we can afford. How that is going to be discussed is a process with the CPO and if there is no agreement, you go to the Industrial Court."

Debate on the budget begins on October 4, with Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar expected to speak first when the House of Representatives convenes at 10 am.

The Prime Minister is expected to be the lead speaker at a PNM public meeting in Belmont at 7 pm that day, when the topic is expected to be all things budget-related.