PHILIPSBURG–Lobbying for a pay hike for public sector workers is high on the agenda of Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) and Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) President Claire Elshot.
She said at a press conference on Thursday that public sector workers deserve a pay increase, as the last one they received was in 2012 and since then the prices of a number of essential consumer goods and services such as food have skyrocketed and the cost of utilities (water and electricity) has spiralled out of control and is not going down. This puts a lot of pressure on consumers and is promoting poverty in the country. She said an increase of at least 10 per cent seems reasonable.
Elshot said she will be meeting soon with her representatives in the teaching sector on the matter. She also plans to encourage other unions representing public sector workers to also meet with their representatives, as her hope is for all unions to stand united and lobby for an increase in wages. A meeting will also be requested with government. She is hoping that this can happen before the end of January.
“If the workers cannot get a reduction in the cost of food and no reduction in their utility bills then we need a different approach and this is a pay increase,” Elshot stressed. “Since 2012 nothing has been done to salaries. … If nothing is done, it will be contributing to the middle class getting slimmer with persons such as teachers working and still being in poverty.”
The last adjustment to public sector workers’ salaries was in 2012 when 2.3 per cent (50 per cent of a 4.6 per cent) increase was applied to the salaries of public sector workers after unions in the country collectively lobbied for the cost of living adjustment (COLA) to be applied to the workers’ salaries.
As it relates to the salaries of private sector workers, Elshot said the minimum wage is usually indexed upwards at the start of every year. The same is done for pensions.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84204-witu-other-unions-to-lobby-for-public-servants-pay-hike
View comments
Hide comments