UNC: Government must state position on SRC report

The UNC is calling on the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister Colm Imbert to break their silence on the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) 120th report and say whether they will be accepting the recommendations.

The report recommends significant pay increases for top public officials such as Dr Rowley, President Christine Kangaloo, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

It also recommends increases for Cabinet and non-cabinet ministers; ordinary MPs (government and opposition); senators; the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary; THA Minority Leader, and heads and members of local government corporations.

Speaking during the UNC’s virtual conference on November 24, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath reminded that a report had been laid in Parliament earlier this year, was sent back to the SRC to address what the government called anomalies,

“Fast-forward from then to now and we have this new amended report before the Parliament. It has been almost two weeks since the government has laid the report and there’s a deafening silence from senior cabinet ministers, including the Finance Minister and the PM himself.

“We must ask why, against the background of the same PM and Finance Minister having demonised Petrotrin workers for salaries, cost of living and allowances. The same Cabinet, Finance Minister and PM who demonised public servants in TTEC, WASA, TTUTA, OWTU, saying to TT that public servants needed to hold strain and tighten their belts and that they were earning too much.”

Padarath said the population had conducted a performance appraisal of the government and determined they deserved no pay raise, but instead owed the population money.

“Why is the media, civil society, unions, chambers of commerce not calling on the PM and the Finance Minister to make a definitive statement on what is the government’s policy in terms of whether or not they are prepared to accept the recommendations of the SRC?

“They are pretending the opposition has a say in this matter, the opposition has no say in this matter. We are not self-serving. The government, whether it is through the PM or the Finance Minister, must come clean to the country and say what is your position? Are you going to accept or are you going to reject the commission’s report?”

Under the commission's recommendations, the PM will receive a monthly salary of $87,847, a 47 per cent increase over his current salary of $59,680.

The recommended new monthly salary for the President is $81,170, effective April 1, 2023, an increase of 26 per cent.

The SRC recommends increasing the Opposition Leader's monthly salary from $29,590 to $52,159, effective October 1, 2023, a 76 per cent increase.

The Chief Justice's current salary is $50,350, with a recommended increase to $60,919 effective April 1, 2023, an increase of 21 per cent.