NUGFW: Our 17,000 workers want 10% too

NATIONAL Union of Government and Federated Workers Union (NUGFW) president general Christopher Streete says he is elated that the Government has formalised its ten per cent salary offer to public servants covering two outstanding negotiating periods.

And he is hoping that the NUGFW, which represents 17,000 daily-rated workers, would also be called to the bargaining table sometime this week to negotiate for the same percentage.

On November 21, the PSA, led by its president Felisha Thomas, got a formal ten per cent salary offer via a letter that was delivered during a meeting with the union, the Personnel Department and the Ministry of Finance. The letter was handed over during a presentation by acting Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Wendy Barton on the state of the economy.

A statement from the Personnel Department said the offer applies to officers in the civil service, Tobago House of Assembly and statutory authorities for January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 and January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019.

The release added the economic briefing remained a legitimate part of the bargaining process, providing “an up-to-date, official and holistic overview of TT’s economic and fiscal position” to guide negotiations.

Under the former Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM administration, the Government’s last wage offer to public sector workers was four per cent, covering the same 2014-2019 period but several of the major unions had rejected the offer.

After the November 21 meeting, Thomas delivered a message on video to her membership, declaring, “Ten per cent is here.”

She also thanked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo for honouring the Workers’ Agenda.

Thomas said the union is focused on closing the negotiations to “put some money in our members’ pockets by Christmas.”

Speaking to Newsday on November 22, Streete said he was happy the CPO (Dr Daryl Dindial) finally saw it fit to put an offer on the table.

“I was happy that at long last that the CPO would have called in the union and put the offer on the table as has been espoused by the Government that that needs to happen,” he said.

“So in going forward, my union represents the daily-rated workers in the public service and, therefore, we are looking forward to being called very soon by the CPO.”

Streete said like the PSA, “we, too, would have refused the four per cent and therefore, we would have supported the Government when they were campaigning.”

He said the NUGFW was looking forward to meeting with the CPO.

“If I don’t receive any call from the CPO, at least by the middle of next week, then I will be doing the calling. So we are looking forward and hopeful that we would also be called soon.”

Saying his members were anxious, Streete thanked the PSA for its insistence in resolving the long-standing issue.

“The PSA president and I, we have our conversations as public sector unions and I know that we are very encouraged by this new development.”

Streete said when the trade unions had supported the UNC-led coalition of interests in the run up to the April 28 general election, it was based on several factors, including the removal of the four per cent.

“Therefore, we too, would have refused to accept the four per cent on the basis that this government would have given us a better deal. And my members are eagerly and anxiously waiting, all 17,000 of us.”

He believes all of the other trade unions are hoping for a similar offer.

“We know that while the Government would have made mention in their budget about what they offering the PSA, there are several other trade unions who also have the Government as their employer and therefore, I know all of us will be looking forward to a similar kind of offer.

“The tenets upon which the trade union would have supported the UNC while they were in Opposition was on the promise that they are going to remove the four per cent and offer a more reasonable position that the unions could consider.”