Unions to meet on wages

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB) is pressing ahead with its usual practice of meeting with Government every two years to negotiate public sector wages and salaries.

The umbrella body gave notice of its intention in its monthly bulletin last Friday and CTUSAB’s General Secretary Dennis DePeiza today gave the confirmation.

In the bulletin, it was disclosed that during a special meeting of CTUSAB’s Executive Board on November 10, 2021 discussions commenced on the subject of public sector wages and salary negotiations for the period 2019-2022.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, DePeiza explained that it was the norm for the labour organisations to engage Government in discussions pertaining to increasing wages and salaries every two years.

He said that practice would continue even as the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, DePeiza said it was too early to say whether CTUSAB would be seeking a wage increase.

Public servants received a five per cent pay increase in 2018, their first in almost a decade, three months after the Mia Mottley-led administration was swept into office.

At the time Mottley said the agreement, which was reached between the Ministry of the Civil Service and the public service unions would become applicable for the period April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019.

She disclosed the agreement would cost Government $60 million.

“All I will say to you is that it is traditional for the labour unions to make representation to Government for a wage and salary increase based on the two-year wage and salaries agreement. You are fully aware that in 2018 there was an increase. This is 2021 so that increase that was given was for a period that spanned over nine years when there were no negotiations,” DePeiza said.

“It is a practice which we have always honoured in that the unions would consider making submissions. We are now at the stage of considering so I cannot tell you anything beyond that to say that we are only now at the stage of having discussions as to what we will do or will not do.”

In the bulletin, a concern was also raised regarding the current work from home policy.

DePeiza said he would be better placed to speak to those issues following a meeting scheduled to take place soon.

“I will be in a better position as of tomorrow. We have a meeting that has been scheduled in which there will be a comprehensive review done by our member organisations and after that meeting has concluded I can then tell you what are some of the things that we would want to concern ourselves with and that we will make representation for part or a whole review of the current policy as it stands,” DePeiza said. (RB)